A Day and Night in Tokyo, Japan
by TydRipper1
Summary: When Ranma goes missing, he creates a bit more trouble than he had hoped. When Akane and Ukyou set out on a mission to find him, they cause nothing less than a national incident...


A Day and Night  
  
By: Kyle Emmerson (kyle_emmerson@geocities.com)  
Using Characters and situations from: Ranma « By  
Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Prologue:  
  
Dear Everyone,  
  
Hey, its me, Ranma. You may be wondering where I am  
right now, but just don't worry. I'm safe, and there  
ain't nothing gonna happen to me. The point is, I  
left. Nothing can be done about that now. Pop, stay  
put. When I don't wanna be found, I won't be found.  
  
I know you guys are wondering why I left. The only  
answer I can give is cuz I wanted to. I've had  
enough over the past year there. Too many things  
have happened, and I just miss life on the road. I  
probably won't be coming back, so there's no point  
in looking for me.  
  
Mr. Tendo and Pop: I'm sorry the agreement between  
the two schools couldn't be filled, there's nothing  
that can be done about that. It's over, deal with  
it.  
  
Kasumi: Thank you so much for the hospitality you've  
shown me. I'll always remember it, and cherish it  
until the day I die.  
  
Nabiki: The money I owe you, you can find under the  
thirteenth floorboard in the Dojo. The one with the  
black scuff-mark on it.  
  
Akane: I'm sorry we couldn't work it out. I wish you  
the best of luck in the future years.  
  
Sincerely,  
Ranma Saotome...  
  
****  
  
Powerless. Insecure. Ill. Those were just a handful  
of feelings Akane had felt since the day Ranma left. She  
knew exactly why she felt that way, but refused to do  
anything about it.  
  
Love. It took her so long to admit to herself that  
she felt that way about Ranma, but at last she did. It  
felt good for a moment, then she realized it was too  
late. He had left.  
  
Since he left, Ukyou had been coming over daily,  
trying to comfort Akane. At least, that's what the  
pretense was. She was really scouting for information on  
Ranma's whereabouts, which she didn't know. Neither did  
Akane for that matter.  
  
Shampoo and Cologne had returned from China the day  
earlier, stating that Ranma had not gone to Jusenkyo,  
like so many had thought. Ryouga hadn't been around seen  
since a few days before Ranma left.  
  
After the first day, Akane felt sure Ranma would  
come back, and she even felt a little heartsick mere  
moments after he left. Now, after three weeks time, she  
was a total wreck. Akane hadn't been to school in nearly  
four days, and spent most of her time in her room,  
either thinking of the events of the past year,  
sometimes laughing at the funnier events of the past,  
and crying at some of the serious ones.  
  
But she was still unsure at what she should do. Many  
told her to move on, especially Kuno, who seemed to be  
coming over daily to 'cheer her up' with his 'honorable  
presence'. It had quite the opposite effect, as either  
Akane or Soun would kick him off the property.  
  
But things were looking worse. Genma had set off two  
weeks earlier, searching for his son, and promising to  
call. No such luck. He hadn't called.  
  
Akane lay down in her bed and stared at the ceiling.  
She couldn't go on like this. She just couldn't sit and  
wait any longer. She sat up and decided it was time to  
make a decision.  
  
A moment later, she nodded to herself, and walked  
down the stairs.  
  
Since Ranma had left, Akane had only left her room  
for three things. School, which she hadn't done in four  
days. Food, when she was feeling well enough to eat. And  
bathroom breaks, which weren't very often. Even breaking  
bricks had become a thing of the past for her.  
  
She sat down at the table and looked at her sister,  
who had a confused expression on her face.  
  
"Akane? Are you alright?" Kasumi asked, genuinely  
worried.  
  
Akane tried her best to keep her feelings in check.  
Several times in the past week, Akane had broken down in  
front of Kasumi, exclaiming how much she loved Ranma,  
and that she would never get him angry again if only he  
would come back. As it was, he never did.  
  
"I've made a decision, Kasumi."  
  
Kasumi blinked. "Should I get father and Nabiki?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
A few minutes later, Nabiki walked down the stairs  
with a calculator in hand, and her father followed.  
  
"What is it, Akane, dear?" Soun asked.  
  
"I've made a decision. I'm going to look for him."  
  
Nabiki smirked. She had been expecting this for some  
time. Soun also allowed a smile to seep out of his  
mouth, as the tears slowly drained from his eyes.  
  
"Here." Nabiki pulled an envelope from out of her  
pouch and passed it to Akane.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"Enough Yen to get you to China and back."  
  
Akane smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"Akane, dear." Soun asked. "Will you be alright?"  
  
Akane nodded. She was proud of her father for being  
so strong under such a circumstance.  
  
Soun smiled.  
  
"Ukyou should be here in a few minutes, Akane."  
Kasumi mentioned. "Why don't you ask her to accompany  
you? She'd help you."  
  
Akane nodded. "I'll ask her." The truth was, even  
though the rivalry between her and Ukyou was now on a  
more solid foundation, she was being such a good friend  
over the past few weeks.  
  
"Do you have an idea of where you'll go?"  
  
She shook her head. "Shampoo says he wasn't at  
Jusenkyo, and the Guide said he hadn't been there.  
That's the only place I can think of. I'm going to ask  
around a bit, maybe Hiroshi and Daisuke know something  
they're not sharing. If, by then I haven't got any  
leads, I'll head to Jusenkyo."  
  
"Perhaps, but you should prepare yourself well."  
  
She nodded. "I plan on it."  
  
At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and  
Ukyou let herself in. Already on her way up the stairs,  
Akane called from the tea room.  
  
"Ukyou, I'm in here!"  
  
Ukyou blinked and turned towards the tea room.  
  
"Akane?" She asked at the doorway, she was shocked  
to see such a lighthearted face on her. "What's going  
on?"  
  
"Ukyou, I'm going to find him." She said.  
  
Ukyou smiled. "It's about damn time, girl." She put  
her hands to her hips and laughed. "What's the plan?"  
  
Akane shrugged. "Not much of one right now. We're  
going to do some asking around, maybe we'll luck out and  
someone will have seen him."  
  
Ukyou smiled. "Now we're talking." She looked at her  
patiently for a moment. "You gonna get ready, or what?"  
  
Akane smiled, for the first time in weeks, and got  
herself ready.  
  
****  
  
"What's first?" Ukyou asked.  
  
"Yuka and Sayuri are waiting for us at your  
restaurant. I hope you don't mind, but I decided to use  
it as our 'base of operations'.  
  
Ukyou smirked and shook her head. "If you hadn't  
suggested it, I would have."  
  
"Good. They've brought Hiroshi and Daisuke with them  
on the pretense of a date."  
  
"What makes you think they'll know anything about  
it?"  
  
"Nothing, I've just gotta check."  
  
"Akane?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"How do you... Well... Why do you suppose he.. Uh...  
Left?"  
  
Akane looked down at the ground for a moment. "If I  
knew that, Ukyou, I wouldn't have to search for him.  
  
Ukyou nodded and walked onward in silence for a few  
moments before noticing what was before her. "They're  
here already."  
  
Akane looked up and nodded. Yuka and Sayuri stood in  
front of Ucchans, talking to a couple of very confused  
looking teenage boys. Upon seeing Ukyou and Akane  
approach, they looked even more confused.  
  
****  
  
"Alright, boys. What do you know?" Ukyou asked  
menacingly.  
  
"Know about what?" Daisuke asked, sitting in the  
chair inside of the   
restaurant.  
  
"Don't play dumb. You know what we're talking  
about."  
  
Hiroshi leaned over towards Daisuke. "Do you suppose  
they mean Ranma?"  
  
Daisuke merely shrugged.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Daisuke opened his mouth to speak. "If you mean  
Ranma, we don't know anything."  
  
"Yeah, you'll never beat it out of us!"  
  
Akane and Ukyou quickly brought their attention to  
Hiroshi's comment. "So you do know!"  
  
Hiroshi blinked for a moment, then cursed himself  
inwardly.  
  
"What did you say that for?" Daisuke asked.  
  
"I don't know, it just seemed like the thing to  
say."  
  
"The wrong thing to say!"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry alright!"  
  
"Sorry? We promised him we wouldn't say--"  
  
"Ixnay! Ixnay on the Anmaray!"  
  
Daisuke clammed up. He looked at Ukyou, who was now  
holing her battle spatula tightly, with a menacing look  
on her face.  
  
"What was that?" She asked.  
  
Daisuke shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."  
  
Ukyou brought her spatula up, readying it for a  
swiping motion. Daisuke closed his eyes.  
  
"Wait." Yuka grabbed the shaft of the spatula.  
  
Sayuri stepped in front of Ukyou. "I think we can  
handle this."  
  
Ukyou blinked for a moment. "And if it doesn't  
work?"  
  
Yuka winked. "Then you can smack them up all you  
want."  
  
Akane looked at her two friends, then nodded.  
  
"Privacy, please?" Sayuri suggested.  
  
Ukyou blinked and then nodded. She looked towards  
Akane and then gestured her to the stairs near the back  
of the restaurant. The two of them walked up the stairs,  
leaving Yuki and Sayuri with Hiroshi and Daisuke.  
  
****  
  
"What do you suppose they're doing?" Ukyou asked.  
  
Akane shrugged. She actually had a fairly good idea,  
but basically left that train of thought alone. She was  
too focused on Ranma.  
  
"Ukyou?"  
  
Ukyou looked towards Akane. "Yes?"  
  
"What..." She began. "What will we do once... If we  
find him?"  
  
Ukyou scoffed. "If? Honey, you listen to me. We will  
find him."  
  
Akane smiled. She liked Ukyou's attitude on the  
situation. It gave her more hope. "That's not exactly  
what I mean, Ukyou. I... I mean, what will we do when  
he's back?"  
  
Ukyou blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean you and me. Shampoo. Kodachi. Everyone. I  
think that's why he left. He didn't like everyone  
claiming him as his own."  
  
"Well, Akane. Don't get me wrong here, but you  
weren't doing much claiming when he was around."  
  
"But what about now? I know how I feel about him  
now. Absence makes the heart grow fonder."  
  
Ukyou sighed. "I guess you're right. Something will  
have to be done. I guess..." She paused, thinking.  
"Look, Akane. Let's just not worry about that right now.  
If we dwell too much on the subject, we'll losesight of  
what we've got to do."  
  
Akane nodded. A moment later, they were interrupted  
by a knock on the door.  
  
****  
  
"We saw him. He made us swear that we wouldn't tell  
anyone." Hiroshi said.  
  
"What? Where was he? Why doesn't he want you telling  
anyone?" Akane asked.  
  
"Downtown Tokyo General. We saw him leaving the  
lobby, and he just said he didn't want us telling  
anyone."  
  
"Did he say anything about where he was going, or  
what he was doing there?"  
  
Hiroshi shook his head. "He told us nothing, just  
that he didn't want us to tell anyone where he was."  
  
Ukyou smiled and looked towards Akane. "Well, it's a  
start. At least we know he's still around."  
  
Akane nodded. "How long ago was this?"  
  
Hiroshi shrugged. "About four days. We were there  
because Hiroshi's aunt was being released, and she  
wanted our help in getting her out of the hospital.  
  
Akane managed to let a small smile grow. She looked  
towards Ukyou. "Let's go."  
  
Ukyou nodded and joined her, as Ukyou gathered  
everyone out of the restaurant and locked the front  
door, she looked towards Yuka.  
  
"How did you get it out of them, anyway?"  
  
Yuka smiled. "Do you really want to know?"  
  
Ukyou thought about it for a second. "Nothing nasty,  
right?"  
  
Yuka shook her head. "Nothing TOO nasty."  
  
Ukyou smiled and walked off towards Akane, who was  
looking at the sky by a fence.  
  
"He's out there, Ukyou. He's there. Somewhere."  
  
Ukyou nodded. "At least now we have someplace to  
start."  
  
"Should we go now?"  
  
"What are we going to do there?"  
  
Akane looked at her. "There was any number of things  
Ranma could have been doing there. Maybe he was injured,  
and they had to treat him, in which case, Nabiki would  
be able to help us by getting the records. He could have  
even been visiting someone."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Akane shrugged. "There is so much neither of us know  
about Ranma. Ten years have gone by for him, that  
neither of us knew what he was doing. He could have  
friends that neither of us have even heard of."  
  
Ukyou thought about it for a moment.  
  
"The truth is, Ukyou, we may have only scratched the  
surface of him. There could be an entirely different  
person underneath what you and I both know as Ranma."  
  
"But he's still Ranma. He's still the person I...  
We... uhh... Have feelings for."  
  
Akane nodded. "That's right. And I'm not going to  
let it rest until I've found out why he left."  
  
Ukyou smiled. "We're together on this, girlfriend."  
  
****  
  
"I'm sorry miss, that information is confidential."  
  
Akane frowned. "I just need to know if he's been  
here."  
  
The nurse continued to shake her head. "It's against  
Hospital Policy. I cannot divulge the information of any  
patients without a court or police order."  
  
Ukyou grabbed Akane's shoulder. "What if he wasn't a  
patient?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Who do we know, that's missing, that may very well  
be in this hospital, other than Ranma?"  
  
It began to dawn on Akane. She quickly turned to the  
nurse. "Can you tell me if someone is in the hospital  
right now?"  
  
"It depends on your relation." The nurse stared at  
her, unamused.  
  
"Father-in-law." They both stated. After a confused  
look from the Nurse, she nodded.  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Genma Saotome."  
  
The nurse tapped through the computer, after a beep,  
she replied. "Nobody by that name has ever been to this  
hospital."  
  
Akane let her heart drop. She quietly thanked the  
nurse and turned towards Ukyou, walking away.  
  
"Damn it!" Ukyou swore. "What else can we do?"  
  
"I'll call Nabiki. If Ranma was here as a patient,  
she'll get it out of her."  
  
"And if that doesn't work?"  
  
"Don't even say that, Ukyou. We'd have to stay here  
around the clock in hopes that he would come back."  
  
Ukyou nodded. She would be willing to do that, if  
the problem arose. "What if he was here as a patient,  
but used a different name?"  
  
Akane shook her head. "No. They double-check your  
identity before they admit you. If not, then they  
classify you as--" She stopped, mid-sentence.  
  
"As what?" Ukyou asked.  
  
Akane put her finger up and ran to the nurse. She  
asked her something, and after a quick nod of approval  
from the nurse, she smiled and ran back to Ukyou.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"There are three Unidentified men in the building.  
One is in a coma, the other two are conscious, but  
unable to respond. One of them was admitted four days  
ago."  
  
"Are you serious? You think he could be...?"  
  
Akane shrugged. "She gave me his room number. We  
have to check it out."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for, girl? Let's go?"  
  
****  
  
"415? Are you sure that's the room she gave you?"  
  
Akane nodded. "Look, right here. It even says  
'unidentified male'." She said as she pointed at the  
patients chart.  
  
Ukyou looked onward in disappointment. She and Akane  
had been treated to feelings of achievement until they  
had seen the face of the person they had so desperately  
hoped to be Ranma's father. They were, quite obviously,  
wrong.  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
Akane shook her head, stifling back tears. "This is  
only a minor setback. Looks like we're going to have to  
bring Nabiki in on this."  
  
"You wait here. I'll go give her a call." Ukyou  
offered.  
  
Akane shook her head. "No, she's my sister. I'll  
take care of it." She sighed.  
  
As Akane walked down the hall towards the public use  
telephone, Ukyou sighed and leaned against the wall  
outside of the room they had hoped Genma would be in.  
  
"So, what's going on with number two?" Ukyou  
overheard.  
  
"It's quite tragic. The guy who brought him in said  
he didn't know him, but he's been in here every day  
since. At least some people still have compassion."  
  
"Which is more than you can say for the people who  
did that to him."  
  
Ukyou let the conversation flow through her ears.  
  
"Has he shown any signs of movement?"  
  
"Not yet. It's to be expected. With those kinds of  
injuries." The nurse sighed. "Who knows. He may not ever  
wake up again."  
  
"But then, would he want to? He may never walk."  
  
"Who's that guy who keeps coming in every day,  
anyway?"  
  
Ukyou noticed Akane gesturing to her frantically  
from the phone, and got up to meet her. As she walked  
out of listening range, the other nurse answered a  
question.  
  
"He said his name was Ranma. Ranma Saotome."  
  
****  
  
"What's going on?" Ukyou asked.  
  
"Nabiki is on her way. It'll still be a while, maybe  
close to an hour. Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"  
  
Ukyou looked at the clock on the wall. "Yeah, it is  
getting late. We should eat."  
  
"Where do you want to eat?"  
  
"No." Ukyou said. "I'll go and get us something, and  
bring it back here. You should wait here, just in case."  
  
"But--"  
  
Ukyou put her finger up. "No buts, Akane. It's my  
treat!"  
  
Akane started to argue again, but according to the  
gaze she was receiving from Ukyou, the conversation was  
over.  
  
"Alright." She said.  
  
Ukyou smiled. "I'll pick something up. Don't worry.  
Feel like western food?"  
  
Akane shrugged. "I suppose whatever you get will be  
fine."  
  
Alright then. I'll be back in ten minutes. And then  
she was off.  
  
****  
  
Nabiki took the train ticket from the automated  
machine at the corner of the station. It was now getting  
late, a time when she did not want to be outside,  
especially alone. The sun was just going down over the  
horizon, and the sky had already grown a dark tint of  
purple.  
  
As she walked into the train and took a seat, she  
sighed. The train offered some protection, she knew the  
exact schedules of the guards. She chose her particular  
car because it was the car which was most often checked.  
  
She looked at her watch. The first guard should be  
coming through in less than thirty seconds.  
  
Nabiki looked around at her. The car was mainly  
empty, so she eased up on her paranoia. Paranoia had  
been a big part of Nabiki's life for as long as she  
could remember. It was the best way to keep money, and  
even to make money. She had to keep tabs on everyone.  
  
The passengers of the car seemed like a rag-tag  
group. A businessman leaning against the window on the  
opposite side, seemingly dozing off. An old woman, who  
somehow managed to knit a scarf, regardless of the  
vibration the train was making. A young man in a  
business suit, sitting three seats behind her. He seemed  
to have his eyes focused on a spot on the window.  
  
Thirty seconds were up. She looked to the front of  
the car. It opened on schedule, and the guard came  
through and checked each persons ticket. After that was  
done with, he went into the next car. It would be five  
more minutes until the next patrol came through.  
  
Watching the scenery go by, she noticed the next  
stop was coming rather quickly. As the train slowed to a  
stop, she noticed the businessman and the old woman get  
up and leave.  
  
The doors closed.  
  
Nabiki was nervous. She always was when she was  
alone in a train car with someone else. It made her even  
more nervous when she realized the guard would not be  
coming through for another four minutes.  
  
Nabiki tried to refrain from looking behind her for  
as long as possible, but it was though he could feel the  
eyes of the young man burning holes into the back of her  
head.  
  
She turned and looked.  
  
The car was empty.  
  
Nabiki sighed in relief. He must have gotten off  
without her noticing it, although she was sure she would  
have noticed. She just shook her head and paid no  
further attention to the matter. Two stops later, she  
got off.  
  
****  
  
Akane sat in wait in the hallway, thinking. She knew  
there had to be some reason that Ranma would be coming  
to the hospital, but she couldn't think of why.  
  
The only thing she could think of was an injury. He  
probably wouldn't have gone to Doctor Tofu, for fear of  
him telling. It had to be the only reason.  
  
And then she heard it. A scream, a dreadful scream  
coming from a room two doors away from her. Instinct  
took over, and she came running, briefly noticing the  
patient chart with the telltale 'Unidentified Male'  
stamped out the outside of it. It wasn't the same one  
from earlier, but she continued in.  
  
Normally, anyone would have screamed at the sight.  
Akane, however smiled in delight.  
  
"Mr. Saotome!" She yelled. The panda didn't reply.  
  
A dazed nurse standing over an overturned pan of  
water blinked at her. "Uhh, Miss." She began, her voice  
obviously quivering. "I'm afraid you can't be in here."  
  
Akane shook her head. "I know him, it's alright."  
  
The nurse, still quivering, looked at her  
confusedly.  
  
Akane smiled even wider after seeing the telltale  
strokes of Ranma's handwriting with a sign clearly  
stating 'No Cold Water'.  
  
Akane acted fast and ran over to the sink in the  
corner of the room. She picked up a small cup that had  
been placed there, and filled it with hot water, she  
then splashed it at Genma.  
  
The nurse looked even more dazed, and so did Akane  
after noticing he wasn't waking up.  
  
"What... What's wrong with him?" She asked.  
  
The nurse tried her best to maintain her sanity, and  
thus, succeeded, for the moment. "He... He was beat  
pretty badly."  
  
"By who?"  
  
"We don't know. The man who brought him in wasn't  
sure either, he says he found him in an alleyway, shot  
and beat--"  
  
"SHOT?!" Akane screamed.  
  
"Yes, twice. One in each kneecap."  
  
"Oh My God." She muttered.  
  
"He... He's human, isn't he?"  
  
Akane blinked for a moment. She nodded. "Yes, it's  
just a curse."  
  
Hearing the word 'curse' as though it were alien,  
the nurse blinked.  
  
"Could you keep the curse secret? I'm not sure it  
would be wise to have it too widely known."  
  
The nurse nodded. "I'm not sure anyone would believe  
me, anyway." She looked towards Akane. "You can  
identify him?"  
  
Akane nodded.  
  
The nurse bent over to pick up all she had dropped.  
"We'll need some information from you."  
  
****  
  
A few minutes later, Akane had finished giving all  
the information she knew on Genma Saotome, and all  
changes had been made, including changing the name on  
the patient chart. The bill was going to the Tendo's.  
  
"What about the boy who's been visiting him?"  
  
"Ranma? Oh sure, he shows up every day." The nurse  
replied.  
  
"Hasn't he said anything about him to you?"  
  
The nurse shook her head. "That's the disturbing  
part. His own father, and he wouldn't even tell us. It's  
even more confusing that he visits every day."  
  
"I'm not sure either."  
  
"Do you mind if I ask how you know him?"  
  
"He's... Well, he's my fiance."  
  
The nurse blinked.  
  
"Has he been in today, yet?"  
  
The nurse shook her head. "No. He usually doesn't  
keep the normal visiting hours, but we allow it, since  
he makes no noise and causes no trouble. He just goes in  
there and stares at him."  
  
"I can't believe he wouldn't tell you who--" Akane  
was suddenly distracted.  
  
A man wearing a hooded cloak walked past her, she  
wasn't sure if he noticed her or not, but something was  
definitely familiar about him. He walked onward down the  
hall, and paused in front of a room. He then turned and  
walked away, with a hurried motion.  
  
Why Akane hadn't noticed flat out what was  
happening, she didn't know. Maybe she was too  
distressed, maybe it just didn't make sense, but as the  
figure left the hall and entered an elevator, she  
noticed he stopped in front of Genma's room, must have  
seen his name on the patient chart, and left.  
  
Akane set off for the stairs, as fast as she could.  
  
****  
  
Ukyou muttered to herself. "I wish these bags came  
with handles."  
  
She walked up the side of the semi-busy Tokyo street  
carrying two papers bags filled with Fast food take-out.  
She was finding it difficult to maintain a good grip on  
the bags, and the idea of holding the heat in her arms  
didn't seem to attractive. She continued her walk.  
  
She had taken a tad longer than she thought she  
would. The sun was now completely over the horizon, and  
the darkness spread itself over the sky. Not that she  
couldn't see, however. The lights of the city  
illuminated her way easily.  
  
She found her mind drifting to Ranma. She couldn't  
imagine, no matter how hard she tried, what he could be  
doing, so all she did was wonder.  
  
Wonder if things may have turned out different ten  
years earlier. If only his father hadn't run out. If  
only he had said 'Ukyou' when his father asked him such  
an important question.  
  
She found now she couldn't blame Ranma for what  
happened. She still relished the fact she could lay some  
blame on Genma, but even that was diminishing. Things  
could have been so much different.  
  
She sighed as she stepped to the front entrance of  
the hospital, ready to open the door and enter. To her  
surprise, someone else had not only opened the door for  
her, but knocked her over. All she heard was a muffled  
'sorry' as the figure ran off.  
  
"Hey, you jerk!" She yelled. She got up and brushed  
herself off, and then frowned at the oozing paper bag  
that had been crushed in the commotion. Looking at the  
other bag, which seemed unscathed, she shrugged.  
  
"At least the fries survived." She bent over to pick  
them up, but was interrupted by the running form of  
Akane, running out of the hospital lobby, and chase  
after the figure that just passed her. Ukyou did manage  
to avoid getting hit again, but did not manage to save  
the fries in time.  
  
"Damn it." She muttered, and then gave chase after  
Akane.  
  
The chase lasted a good five minutes. Going up and  
down city streets, running across busy streets and  
jumping over cars, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a  
bus, Ukyou followed Akane, who in turn seemed to be  
chasing the man in the cloak. Suspicions began to grow  
in Ukyou's heart.  
  
Finally, it ended. Ukyou had lost them for a moment,  
but then a clump of cloth on the ground outside of an  
alley gave away the location. She realized what the  
clump was. It was the cloak the figure had been wearing  
earlier.  
  
Being as quiet as she could, Ukyou slipped into the  
darkness of the alleyway.  
  
****  
  
Akane blinked.  
  
"R.... Ranma?"  
  
The figure in front of her froze and slowly turned  
around. "Akane?" He yelled.  
  
She walked towards him. "Ranma, it is you!"  
  
He jumped away from her.  
  
"What are you doing here, Akane?"  
  
Akane blinked. She had been afraid of this. "Ranma,  
I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. It took me so long  
to realize this Ranma.... I love you."  
  
He flinched. "...What?"  
  
"Ranma, I'm so sorry, just come home with me. We  
can--"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"...What? Why? Ranma, I--"  
  
"I can't Akane..." he said slowly. "I... I just  
can't."  
  
"But, R--"  
  
"Akane, go home. Forget you saw me, just forget you  
ever knew me."  
  
"Ran--"  
  
"Don't you get it, you stupid Tomboy?! I don't love  
you back, I never loved you! And... And I've got someone  
else now!"  
  
Akane could feel the tears begin to well up in her  
eyes. "R..." She turned around and ran throughout the  
alley, not stopping until she reached the street, where  
she huddled herself against a building in the corner and  
cried.  
  
A moment later, Ranma showed his face to the light,  
and two thin streams fell from his eyes. He looked at  
his hand, which had been clenched into a tight fist, and  
noticed the blood. "Damn it." He managed to choke as he  
bounded away into the night.  
  
Ukyou showed herself from the blackness of the alley  
as he bounded away. The tears evident on her face. She  
slowly began to approach the entrance to the alleyway,  
to find Akane.  
  
****  
  
"Damn." Ranma muttered. "Damn, damn, damn, damn,  
DAMN!"  
  
He should have been paying closer attention. He  
should have realized the fact that if someone had found  
his father, they would find him.  
  
He thought over of the events of the past few weeks.  
He didn't want to do what he had just done, in fact, he  
hated himself for it. But it had to be done. They  
demanded it of him, and there was nothing more he could  
do.  
  
Ranma decided it would be easier if he didn't visit  
his father anymore. As he let the tears flow from his  
eyes, he stopped on top of a building long enough to  
tend to his bleeding hand.  
  
****  
  
Nabiki shook her head at the two bags of fast food  
which had been apparently hammered into the ground.  
"What  
a waste."  
  
Nabiki stepped forward and opened the door to the  
lobby of the hospital, and looked around for her sister.  
There was no sign of her. She shook her head and walked  
up to the nurse.  
  
"Can I help you, Miss?" The triage nurse asked. She  
was a young woman. This would be easier than Nabiki had  
thought.  
  
****  
  
Akane leaned herself against the side of the  
building. The tears were flowing freely, but she was a  
bit more coherent than she was moments earlier. She  
leaned her eyes towards the bright lights all around her  
as she started to rise. The world was much more darker  
than she had realized, and only the past few minutes had  
revealed that to her. The moon was barely visible beyond  
the clouds.  
  
She began to walk. Where, she didn't care anymore.  
Home. The hospital. To find Ukyou. Heck, she didn't care  
if she were to go back to Jusenkyo, at least then she  
could have a curse to take her mind off of Ranma.  
  
But as it was, that was impossible.  
  
She was beginning to go back to her old train of  
thought. From before she met Ranma. But that would never  
happen, she had too many good times surfacing in her  
memories to say 'I hate boys!'  
  
She looked down towards her feet. She smiled as she  
remembered his first day. Walking in on him in the bath,  
calling him a pervert, even when Nabiki--  
  
Akane looked up for a moment, memories forgotten.  
"Nabiki!" She shouted, and then ran off to the hospital.  
  
****  
  
"This is all the information you've got?" She asked  
the triage.  
  
The nurse sheepishly nodded. "That's it."  
  
Nabiki looked through the papers in her hands. Three  
papers with Ranma's name on them. Two holding the  
address of the Tendo's. The third was much more recent.  
  
Nabiki smiled and turned around. Seeing Akane come  
through the door in a frantic hurry, she jumped.  
  
"And just where were you, little sister?" She asked  
with an amused smile on her face.  
  
Akane shook her head. "I... I just stepped out for  
some fresh air."  
  
Seeing the look on her sisters face, Nabiki knew she  
was down. She decided to cheer her up. "I think I've  
found where Ranma's staying." She said. "It's not too  
far from here, either."  
  
Akane looked at her sister. She could feel the tears  
starting to stream out again. She shook her head. No.  
That wasn't going to happen. "I don't care anymore,  
Nabiki. I could care less what that... Pervert is  
doing."  
  
Nabiki blinked. "What? But this morning, you were  
so--"  
  
"That was this morning. I don't care anymore."  
  
"What happened? Did you find him or something?"  
  
"It doesn't matter Nabiki. Let's just go home."  
  
"What about Ukyou?"  
  
Akane paused. She had nearly completely forgotten  
about her. "You mean, she isn't here?"  
  
"No. I figured both of you would be together."  
  
"She left for some food awhile ago. And then I..."  
She looked down.  
  
Nabiki put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Let's  
find her."  
  
Akane nodded.  
  
"Where would she have gone?"  
  
"She said she would get some western food. Probably  
a fast food restaurant, she said she'd only be a few  
minutes."  
  
Nabiki blinked. "Fast food?"  
  
Akane nodded.  
  
As the two of them stepped outside, Nabiki pointed  
to the ground. Two crushed paper bags full of fast food  
were becoming more and more a part of the sidewalk. One  
footprint seemed to match the bottom of Akane's shoe.  
  
"Oh no." Akane muttered. "She must have followed  
me."  
  
"Followed you where?"  
  
Akane shook her head. "But I never saw her. Maybe...  
Maybe I lost her?"  
  
It was clear to Nabiki it would take some more  
poking and prodding to get the information out of Akane,  
but now was not the time. "We should head in the  
direction you went in, then."  
  
Akane nodded. "Let's check the direct path, we can  
split up, we might find--"  
  
"No. It's too dark. Let's stick together."  
  
Akane blinked at her sister. "Don't worry, sis. I'll  
be fine." She said.  
  
Nabiki nervously thought about it. They were fairly  
busy streets. What was the worst that could happen?  
  
Nabiki nodded, and then unconsciously stuck the  
papers into her pocket.  
  
****  
  
"Damn it." Ukyou muttered to herself. She had set  
out to follow Ranma, to talk to him. She had to do  
something, anything but sit there in the alley, crying.  
But he had lost her faster than one would have believed.  
So she set in the direction she thought he would be most  
likely to go.  
  
And now he was nowhere in sight. Ukyou paused for a  
moment, and then gave up. She jumped off of the rooftop  
and climbed down the fire escape. She checked her  
position before deciding which way it was to get back to  
the hospital. The place she most figured Akane would be.  
  
She stepped out into the street. She recognized the  
place. She wasn't far from the hospital, only six  
blocks. She could get there in no time flat.  
  
As she walked along the side of the street, she  
failed to notice the young man in a business suit emerge  
from the alleyway, completely out of breath.  
  
****  
  
"What's the plan?" The first one asked.  
  
"Mazuhara wants us to test her," the second one  
said.  
  
"Test her? You mean...?"  
  
The second one nodded.  
  
"Three on one doesn't sound too fair, does it?" The  
third one asked.  
  
The second one shook his head. "Hardly seems fair,  
but that's our business."  
  
"How are we supposed to make it look?"  
  
The second one thought for a moment. "Make it look  
like a rape."  
  
The third one smiled. "My favorite."  
  
****  
  
Akane set off to search for Ukyou. She knew Ukyou  
had probably seen what had happened, and may have been  
off after Ranma. Ukyou would do that. She would want to  
know who and why.  
  
As she searched the streets, she tightened her  
resolve not to return to the alley where she found  
Ranma. She absolutely refused to. But in the end, she   
found she had to. There was no sign of Ukyou at all.  
There was however, a sign of someone else.  
  
"Well, well. Look what we have here, boys." A voice  
said from the shadows.  
  
Akane sneered as the three men came out of the  
darkness of the alleyway. "What the hell do you want? I  
don't have time for this!"  
  
The leader chuckled. "I think we'll make you have  
time for this."  
  
Akane sighed and shook her head. "I said I don't  
have time for sexual deviants. Get lost!"  
  
The leader blinked in surprise. "I don't think you  
realize who you're dealing with, bitch!"  
  
"I don't? Why, I'm SO sorry, I didn't realize you  
were IMPORTANT sexual deviants."  
  
The leader growled. "Get her!" He yelled.  
  
Akane seemed fairly certain of her victory. As the  
two men approached her from either side, she sent one  
flying against the brick wall with a kick to the cheek.  
He fell unconscious immediately. The leader then joined  
in the attack. Akane tried to lure them out of the  
alley, to the street. It was working for the most part.  
  
The leader seemed slightly more skilled than the  
others. He could at least block some of Akane's attacks,  
but the other one seemed without skill, and she was  
having no trouble fending off his attacks, although the  
leader seemed to keep her occupied for the most part.  
  
Finally they were nearly upon the main street, and  
Akane managed to uppercut the other henchman, sending  
him flying a few feet into the air, and executing a  
perfect nose-dive into the pavement.  
  
There was only the leader left.  
  
"You're pretty good, girlie."  
  
"Like I'd accept any compliment from someone like  
you." She sneered. "You give up?"  
  
"The thing is, girlie. I don't give up that easily.  
These two are simple fish bait compared to me."  
  
"That must make you the worm."  
  
The leader lashed out at her, and managed to catch  
her in the side, Akane yelled out in pain and then did a  
jumping spin kick and tried to catch him on the side of  
the face. He blocked it however.  
  
Then Akane did something he never expected. As she  
landed, she knelt and did a straight punch, catching him  
somewhere men don't like to be hit. He doubled over in  
pain. Akane then kicked him in the stomach several  
times. She was so engrossed in what was going on in  
front of her, she failed to notice the limo come up from  
behind her.  
  
"You have been naughty, miss Tendo."  
  
Akane stopped what she was doing, she turned around.  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Ahh, miss Tendo. I'm an associate of your...  
fiance, I believe."  
  
Akane clenched her fist and frowned. "I don't have a  
fiance anymore."  
  
"Oh, that's right, isn't it. He ran from you, he  
left you for the love of another."  
  
"Just shut up!"  
  
"I think not, miss Tendo. You see, Ranma loves  
someone, as it is painfully evident. He loves someone  
with all his heart and--"  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
"Why miss Tendo, you'd think you would be glad to  
hear this."  
  
"Why should I be glad? Who cares who that pervert  
loves?! Probably someone equally as perverted!"  
  
The man smirked. "Why, miss Tendo. I did not know  
you were perverted."  
  
"What? What are you--" Then it hit her.  
  
The man continued to smile.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ever feel like you're being watched, miss Tendo?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
The man pulled a video tape out of his coat pocket.  
"Watch this and you'll understand." He passed it to her.  
  
"What is this?" she asked.  
  
"I can't say much more, miss Tendo. Lets jut say my  
organization is interested in you and your friends..."  
  
"What--"  
  
"I must make my leave, now miss Tendo." He said as  
he stepped into the car.  
  
Akane was left standing in the night along three  
unconscious thugs as the man drove off. Thinking, she  
finally slumped to the ground in confusion.  
  
****  
  
"Ukyou?" Nabiki asked.  
  
Ukyou turned around, startled at hearing her own  
name. "Oh... Uhh, Nabiki. Hi."  
  
"There you are. We were looking for you."  
  
"We? Oh. You mean Akane."  
  
Nabiki nodded. "What's wrong? Ever since I found  
Akane, she's been acting weird. She says she couldn't  
care less where he was."  
  
Ukyou considered telling her, but decided against  
it. "I think its better you hear it from Akane, Nabiki."  
  
Nabiki shook her head. "She wouldn't tell me."  
  
Ukyou looked at her. "Trust me. You wouldn't want to  
hear it from me."  
  
"So, anyway. Let's go find her. She sad she'd meet  
me back at the hospital lobby if--"  
  
"Actually, can you tell her I just went home. I... I  
just don't feel like talking to anybody today."  
  
Nabiki frowned. "So, basically I came all the way  
out here today, did all this stuff for you guys to find  
Ranma, and now it's over? Who cares about Ranma?"  
  
Ukyou blinked. "It's not like that, Nabiki."  
  
"I even found an address where he might be staying,  
and you're not looking for him anymore... Sheesh. Try  
and help someone."  
  
"I-- You found an address?"  
  
Nabiki nodded. "Yeah. It's not far from here,  
either."  
  
"Give it to me."  
  
"But I thought--"  
  
"Give it to me!"  
  
Nabiki blinked and pulled the papers out of her  
pocket. She chose the one with the different address and  
gave it to Ukyou.  
  
"Wait, what's..." She began as Ukyou began to run  
down the road. "Going... On?"  
  
Nabiki shook her head and sighed as she made her way  
back to the hospital. She would have to tell Akane what  
had happened. But she tightened her resolve to get the  
information out of Akane. Not knowing was sometimes  
worse than knowing. Especially when it involved family.  
  
As she looked back towards the retreating figure of  
Ukyou, she noticed something strange. Two men that had  
been previously talking had now abruptly split up. One  
in pursuit of Ukyou, then other walking toward her.  
  
Nabiki gasped as she realized who it was.  
  
****  
  
Akane stared at the videotape in confusion. Whatever  
was going on, she hopes would be explained in the tape.  
She hoped it would explain Ranma's behavior. Why, and IF  
he lied to her in the alley. She also hoped it would   
explain what the man in the Limousine had to do with any  
of it.  
  
She looked up from her seat in the hospital lobby.  
The triage nurse was eyeing her suspiciously, but she  
shook it off for the most part. She stared out the  
doors, hoping that Nabiki or Ukyou would walk in any  
second.  
  
It was ten minutes before she was answered. Nabiki  
walked in, looking flushed and completely out of breath,  
constantly looking over her shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong?" Akane asked.  
  
Nabiki bent over with her hands on her knees. "I...  
I'm being followed." She nearly coughed out.  
  
Akane blinked. "By who?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't know... Some man in  
a... business suit." She stood up and took a deep  
breath, when she noticed the videotape in Akane's hand.  
  
"Where is he?" She frowned. "I'll take care of him.  
Three guys tried to get me in an alley earlier, I took  
care of them."  
  
"He's not following me any more. I lost him."  
  
Akane nodded in understanding.  
  
"What's that?" Nabiki pointed at the videotape in  
her hand.  
  
"I don't know. Some guy gave it to me after I beat  
those three thugs into submission. He said it would have  
the answers I need."  
  
"Answers for what?"  
  
"Ranma I think."  
  
"I thought you didn't care anymore."  
  
"I... I do, I guess. And I don't. Nabiki, I just  
don't know. Things have been happening so fast tonight,  
it's just..." She shook her head. "Do you want me to  
explain what happened?"  
  
Nabiki grabbed her sister by the shoulder. "Yes."  
  
****  
  
Nabiki blinked. "Why would he say that?"  
  
Akane shrugged. "I don't know. But the man in the  
limo said Ranma loved me. But I don't know how he knows  
him, or even why."  
  
"What did the man say to you?"  
  
"He said that his 'organization' is very interested  
in me and my friends."  
  
Nabiki blinked for a moment and looked up. "And the  
tape would explain things."  
  
Akane nodded.  
  
"Well, lets watch it."  
  
"I was waiting for you and Ukyou to come so we can  
go home and watch it."  
  
Nabiki shook her head. "Ukyou isn't coming. She ran  
off after I gave her the papers with Ranma's new  
address."  
  
Akane looked up at her. "Do you still have them?"  
  
Nabiki shook her head again. "No. But I remember the  
address. It's not far from here. Maybe eight blocks."  
  
"Well, we should watch this videotape first, lets go  
home."  
  
Nabiki stopped. "Akane, this is a hospital."  
  
Akane blinked. "And?"  
  
"They've got VCR's in hospitals."  
  
"They wouldn't let us use one."  
  
"It's not like we're going to steal it. Hold on."  
  
Nabiki walked over to the triage nurse, who nearly  
jumped at the sight of her. A moment later, she nodded  
and pointed towards the elevator. Nabiki smiled, bowed  
and walked back to Akane.  
  
"Room 613, lets go."  
  
****  
  
The room was empty as the nurse had stated, and in  
the corner of the room was a TV with a built-in vcr,  
attached to the wall. Nabiki took the tape from Akane  
and put it in the vcr.  
  
As the tape started, Akane closed her eyes for a  
moment, hoping that it would bring answers.  
  
It did.  
  
The date showed itself in the bottom right corner.  
It was today. The first scene showed Ranma. He was  
practicing his kata in the corner of a large gym. When  
he noticed the camera, he walked over.  
  
"Get that thing out of my face, Mazuhara." He  
sneered.  
  
"Come now, Saotome, don't you believe in capturing  
memories?" The voice behind the camera asked calmly.  
  
"These are memories I'd rather soon forget."  
  
The scene cut again.  
  
"What's first?" The voice caught Akane off-guard. It  
was Ukyou.  
  
"Yuka and Sayuri are waiting for us at your  
restaurant. I hope you don't mind, but I decided to use  
it as our 'base of operations'." The sound of Akane's  
voice was distant, but she could recognize herself  
easily.  
  
"What is this?" Nabiki asked. "This was today?"  
  
Akane nodded. "Someone must have been following us."  
She stared in disbelief.  
  
The scene cut again. It showed Akane on the phone.  
In the hospital.  
  
"Yes, Daddy, we're fine. I've got to speak with  
Nabiki."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Nabiki, listen we need your help."  
  
Another pause.  
  
"Yes, we're at Tokyo general, we've got to find out  
if Ranma's been here as a patient, and the nurse won't  
tell us a thing."  
  
Another pause as Akane showed her smiling face on  
the telephone.  
  
"Thanks, Sis. I'll tell Ukyou."  
  
The scene cut again.  
  
"They must have been following you guys all day."  
  
Akane nodded, still in awe.  
  
The next scene showed the back of someone's head. In  
an empty train.  
  
Nabiki gasped. "Oh my god."  
  
"Is that you?"  
  
Nabiki nodded. As she turned her head in the video,  
the person holding the camera ducked underneath the  
seat. A moment later, he rose again and continued to  
videotape.  
  
The scene cut.  
  
"Who are these people?"  
  
The next scene was an alleyway. Akane gasped.  
  
"Don't you get it, you stupid Tomboy?! I don't love  
you back, I never loved you! And... And I've got someone  
else now!"  
  
Nabiki blinked as she realized it was Ranma saying  
those words. And again as she realized her sister was  
the other person in the alley, as she ran away. A few  
moments later, she saw Ranma appear from the darkness of  
the alley.  
  
"Damn it." She heard from the videotape. She could  
barely make out of blood dripping from his hand, but the  
expression on his face was quite readable. Another  
moment later, she saw Ukyou emerge from the darkness.  
  
Akane was staring wide-eyed at what was happening on  
the tape.  
  
The scene cut again.  
  
"Here's what's going to happen, Tetsuya." A  
mysterious voice came from behind the camera.  
  
"Yes?" Tetsuya showed his face. Akane gasped. It was  
the leader of the three men in the alley.  
  
"You're going to test Miss Tendo out."  
  
Tetsuya nodded. "Make it look like a random crime?"  
  
"Whatever suits you and your men, Tetsuya."  
  
Tetsuya smiled.  
  
The scene cut.  
  
The tape ended.  
  
Akane and Nabiki were left staring.  
  
"What's going on?" Nabiki asked.  
  
Akane shook her head. "I don't know."  
  
"They were following us. All day?"  
  
Akane thought for a moment. She had been so  
engrossed in what was happening, she forgot about the  
tape.  
  
"Wait." She said. "Rewind it, to the beginning."  
  
Nabiki went up to rewind the tape, once she had, she  
pressed play again.  
  
Ranma was in the corner of some kind of gym,  
practicing his kata. The katakana on the side of the  
wall gave it away.  
  
'I-ka-ni-sa'  
  
"Isn't that...?"  
  
"Ikanisa." Akane knew the name, but she couldn't  
place it.  
  
"Wait." Nabiki said. "That's a manufacturing  
company."  
  
Akane looked up. That's where she had heard the  
name. "Do they have any buildings in Tokyo? Nearby?"  
  
Nabiki thought for a moment. It was her business to  
keep tabs on successful companies.  
  
"They're based out of Hokkaido. They've got some  
holding in Tokyo. A warehouse, and a manufacturing  
plant."  
  
"What's closest?"  
  
"The warehouse. It's by the docks. This would be  
closest to the hospital."  
  
"How close is the address Ranma gave to the nurse to  
the warehouse?"  
  
"Four blocks."  
  
Akane thought for a moment. "Nabiki, something is  
going on. Something bigger than we originally thought.  
You'd better go home and tell Father."  
  
Nabiki thought for a moment. "I think that would be  
the best idea."  
  
"Tell them about Mr. Saotome too."  
  
Nabiki nodded and hugged her sister.  
  
****  
  
The apartment was empty.  
  
Well, mostly empty, besides the clutter of papers,  
several receipts and wall plaster from the several holes  
that had apparently been punched. And one kettle.  
  
Ukyou frowned. She had hoped Ranma would be here,  
but the place looked like it hadn't seen life in at  
least a week. The window was left open, and the carpet  
was partially damp, apparently from the rain they'd had  
a few days earlier.  
  
Ukyou bent over to examine the papers. Several  
receipts boasting purchases of ramen, or fast food. One  
receipt showed the purchase of a thermos, hot water  
bottles. A mail-order package of waterproof soap. Ukyou  
frowned. Ranma had been there. She was sure of it.  
  
And she was even more sure when she found the  
crumpled papers. They were letters. Mostly addressed to  
Akane, but she found one addressed to herself.  
  
After more searching, she found something. An  
address. Four blocks away. The place she assumed Ranma  
would be.  
  
A few minutes later, after searching the rest of the  
apartment, she decided it would be best to check out the  
other address. She left the place as she had found it. A  
complete mess.  
  
****  
  
Akane looked around. One of the warehouses by the  
docks had to belong to Ikanisa. She kept going up the  
row of warehouses. There were over 100 of them on the  
docks, and it could be any one of them. As she  
approached the fifteenth warehouse, she paused.  
  
She HEARD something. She was alone on the docks, for  
the most part. It was fairly empty, off in the distance,  
even though it was past midnight, she could hear the hum  
of forklifts, cranes and other machinery. But at her   
position, she could see nothing. She slowly and quietly  
crept along down the row. She had to find the warehouse,  
or she would never learn the truth.  
  
Then she heard it again. A scuff. The noise of  
someone scraping their shoe along the ground. She turned  
around. "Who's there?" She shouted.  
  
She wasn't answered. "I know someone's there, come  
out!" She shouted again.  
  
Again, no answer. She turned around and started to  
run. But she was blocked.  
  
Three men. The SAME three men from earlier. "You  
again?" She said. "Why are you people following me?"  
  
This time, they were dressed in business suits.  
However, it didn't do much to hide the fact that two of  
their faces had been covered in bandages.  
  
"Miss Tendo. Come with us." Tetsuya said.  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"You wish to see Ranma, do you not?" He asked. They  
walked onward.  
  
Akane thought for a second. They weren't forcing her  
to go by any means. They simply walked onward.  
  
"Wait!" She called out after them.  
  
****  
  
Nabiki boarded the train more paranoid that usual.  
She had to do something. She knew there would be people  
following her now, and past midnight, it made her even  
more paranoid.  
  
She made doubly sure that she would pick the most  
patrolled car. She wasn't sure of the schedule of the  
guards at night, but assumed it was very similar to the  
daytime.  
  
As she boarded an empty car, she sighed. She sighed  
in relief as the car doors closed and the train was on  
its way.  
  
If things went as she estimated, the guard should  
show up at least once before every stop. She absently  
looked at her watch and waited.  
  
The door between cars slid open.  
  
The guard walked up to her, checked her ticket, and  
then walked past her to the next car. Nabiki was left  
feeling more secured than before.  
  
Then she heard a cough.  
  
The guard hadn't left. She shrugged it off and then  
let her mind wander.  
  
The men who were following them all day must have  
been good at it. Nabiki was, as far as she knew, the  
only one to notice them. The young man in the business  
suit had been following her since she was on the train  
originally, but then she lost him in the crowd of  
people.  
  
Which was confusing. Obviously he would have known  
that she would head back to the hospital to find Akane.  
Even if he hadn't shown up until after they'd gone to  
watch the tape, he still probably stick around to watch  
for her. Then he most definitely would have seen her  
exit the lobby and head to the train station.  
  
But then there was nobody else in the car, except  
for the... Security guard...  
  
"Hello, Miss Tendo." The voice came from behind her.  
  
Nabiki's heart jumped. She had to remain calm. Calm  
and controlled. "So, why are you following us?"  
  
The security guard laughed. "It doesn't concern  
you."  
  
"Need to know basis, eh?"  
  
"Yes, you could call it that."  
  
Nabiki turned toward him. "Well, it concerns me  
because you're following me. So believe me when I say,  
'I need to know'."  
  
The guard laughed. "Need to know what, Miss Tendo?  
You think I'll tell you just like that? I alone know  
more about you than you could ever imagine."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."  
  
"I would."  
  
Nabiki swallowed hard. "So, what do you want with  
me, then?"  
  
"You are of no major concern to us, Miss Tendo. We  
will allow you to live, however, I'm afraid I won't be  
able to allow you to tell anyone of Ranma's  
whereabouts... Not just yet, anyway."  
  
As the guard leaned over to her, Nabiki let out a  
small whimper.  
  
****  
  
"Ah, Miss Tendo. We meet again." The man smiled.  
  
"What's going on?" Akane asked, showing a fierce  
frown. "I want to know why you people are following us!"  
  
The man shook his head. "I don't believe I've  
introduced myself quite yet, Miss Tendo. My name is  
Mesaki Mazuhara, pleased to meet you." He extended his  
hand.  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes. "I don't care who you are.  
Where's Ranma? Who are you people?"  
  
Mazuhara frowned. He took his hand away and pulled  
out a handkerchief. As he wiped his hands, he answered,  
"Ranma should be along any minute now. As for your other  
question, I'm afraid I can't explain that to your...   
satisfaction."  
  
Akane brought herself into a defensive position.  
"You'd better damn well try."  
  
"Please Miss Tendo. Violence is so... unbecoming of  
you." He looked at her. "You see, your fiance is doing  
some... Work for us. Work that requires his obedience,  
and with you in our possession, that obedience will come  
as no problem."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Look about you Miss Tendo. Ikanisa Manufacturing,  
Hasamoto Enterprises, Roginokami Incorporated. We own  
all of these companies." He looked towards Akane and  
smirked. "And we will own all of Japan soon."  
  
Akane blinked. "What?" It caught her off guard,  
which  
turned out to be a mistake. Two of the guards grabbed  
her and forced her down into a chair.  
  
"You bastards! Let me go!" She screamed as she tried  
to struggle from her chair."  
  
"Miss Tendo, I apologize for harming a lady such as  
yourself. In return, after Ranma has done his task, I  
shall allow you and your family nobility in the new  
government."  
  
Akane blinked. "New government?!"  
  
Mazuhara smirked. "The world is ever changing, Miss  
Tendo. Monarchies are fast becoming obsolete." He looked  
at her. "Which is why Japan must return to its former  
stature as an empire."  
  
"E...Empire?" Akane gasped. "My God, Mazuhara. What  
are you doing?"  
  
"Only one man stands in the way. One man stands  
against a monarchy. And only one man can... change his  
mind, so to speak." He smirked. "Which is why we must  
rely on Ranma Saotome."  
  
"You can't do that! It will never work! The  
people--"  
  
"The people are mindless masses. Look at them. They  
wake up before dawn, commute in vast quantities on these  
contraptions, work through the day, and go home. They  
have no lives. I will give them purpose. I will give  
them something to strive for, to FIGHT for."  
  
Akane blinked. "What?"  
  
"It's already been organized, Miss Tendo. After  
tonight, the new government will reign Japan. After  
tomorrow, the new government will reign all the world."  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes. "Are you crazy?"  
  
Mazuhara smirked. "Many of the greats were called  
eccentric. I am simply one of them."  
  
"But World Domination?! If you even show other  
countries that that's what you're after, they'll band  
together and destroy Japan! Don't you remember what  
happened fifty years ago?!"  
  
Mazuhara frowned. "What happened fifty years ago was  
simply an error in the judgment of our leaders. It will  
not be repeated."  
  
Akane shook her head. "You would risk so many  
innocent lives, just to--"  
  
"Innocent? Who is innocent anymore? Not one person.  
All have... 'sin'... All should worship the very ground  
I walk on, Miss Tendo."  
  
"Mazuhara, you're crazy!"  
  
He frowned again. He made a gesture with his hand  
and turned away. "Do not speak to me. I must prepare for  
Saotome's arrival."  
  
Akane began to speak again, but the sound couldn't  
get past the gag she was now wearing.  
  
She could only stare at Mazuhara, who was looking  
out the window with a smirk on his face.  
  
****  
  
Ranma walked up to the warehouse. He was not in the  
mood for any of what was happening recently. First he  
runs into Akane, and then he realizes Ukyou is following  
him. It hasn't been a good day.  
  
"Saotome, you're late." The man in front of the  
warehouse said to him.  
  
"So what?" He shoved him aside and walked in. He  
gasped.  
  
"Akane?" He looked at her. "Mazuhara, what the hell  
is this? What the hell is she doing here?!"  
  
"Ranma, Ranma. I thought you would be happy. Having  
Akane here was the wish of the myself, who merely wished  
to please our greatest fighter."  
  
"There's no need for her to get mixed up in this,  
Mazuhara."  
  
"Oh, but there is, Saotome. There is. By having her  
here, alongside us, we can assure your loyalty. Don't  
think we don't know why you went out that night." He  
made a hand gesture. A moment later, two men walked out  
of the back room holding a third man between them. Ranma  
gasped.  
  
"You should thank the Gods I took this lightly,  
before he had a chance to tell anyone, otherwise, there  
would be several peoples blood on your hands, including  
the blood of this young maiden." He cupped her chin and  
looked at her in the eye. She scowled back at him.  
  
"Leave her alone, Mazuhara. I'll... I'll do whatever  
you want."  
  
Muffled screams from Akane's direction distracted  
Ranma somewhat, but for the most part it remained  
ignored.  
  
"Excellent." He smiled. "Saotome, everything you'll  
need to know is in that envelope." He pointed to a small  
table in the corner.  
  
"Under one condition."  
  
Mazuhara squinted his eyes. "You aren't in any  
position to make conditions."  
  
"I demand it. Don't think I can't take all of you  
out right here and now, Mazuhara. I only do what you say  
because it may prevent people from getting hurt."  
  
"And what are these, 'conditions'?"  
  
"Let him go." He pointed at the man.  
  
Mazuhara scoffed. "Are you insane? You realize what  
will happen if we let him live!"  
  
"I do. But I also believe he is too smart to say  
anything to anyone at this point."  
  
The man nodded frantically.  
  
Mazuhara scowled. "Very well. After you have  
returned, it will be too late for him to make any  
difference, anyway. But we will not release him until  
you have returned."  
  
"That's all I ask."  
  
****  
  
Ukyou paused. She was only a block away from the  
docks now, but she felt no need to go any further. Ranma  
was on the other side of the street.  
  
She quickly ran across the street. It wasn't too  
busy, especially at this time, but there were enough  
people around to give her adequate cover. She ran up to  
him.  
  
"Ranma!" She shouted.  
  
Ranma stopped and turned around. Ukyou continued to  
run up to him.  
  
"Ranma, I can't let you do this."  
  
He sighed. He didn't know how Ukyou knew about  
anything, but there wasn't much he could do now. "Ukyou,  
you've got to understand."  
  
"Ranma, Akane cares for you. It took me so long to  
realize it, but she does. She cares so much for you, and  
believe it or not, I know you do as well."  
  
"I know, Ukyou."  
  
"And... You know?"  
  
"Ukyou, I've already seen Akane. And once this is  
all over with, I'll tell her how I feel." He blinked for  
a moment. "What about you?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You. You've been after me ever since you came to  
Nerima. How... Why are you telling me to go to Akane?"  
  
Ukyou blinked. She never realized it that way. She  
did care for Ranma, a great bit, and had even gone to  
the point where she'd be willing to hurt others just to  
get to him.  
  
Ranma smiled. "You've changed, haven't you?"  
  
Ukyou blinked again. She realized it. Yes, she had  
changed. Since Ranma had left, she had been spending  
time with Akane. Originally because she thought Akane  
would know where Ranma is, but after Akane admitted how  
she felt, and Ukyou realized that she didn't know where  
he was, she just went to help her out. Cheer her up.  
  
"Ranma... I..." She looked up at him. Her heart  
seemed to melt for a moment, and then she walked up to  
him. She put her arms around his shoulders and pulled  
him down into a deep kiss.  
  
A moment later, they parted.  
  
"Uhh... Ukyou?" Ranma muttered.  
  
Ukyou just stared. No feeling. It was as if she was  
kissing her brother.  
  
"Ranma. I..." She thought.  
  
"Why did you--"  
  
She laughed. "I had to see. I had to see what I felt  
for you."  
  
"What--"  
  
"It's not love." She smiled at him. "It's not LOVE  
love. It's more... It's like brotherly love. I... Ten  
years for revenge, and I never realized it until now. It  
felt like more of a blood feud than... Than betrayal."  
  
"Ukyou, I--"  
  
"Shhh." She put her finger to his lips. "Ranma, you  
don't know how much better I feel. It's like.. A weight  
has been lifted. I feel... Free."  
  
"Free?"  
  
"Ranma, I... I'm your best friend, right?"  
  
Ranma nodded sheepishly.  
  
"And that's all we are." She smiled. "I don't even  
feel that bad. Just... remorseful for all I've done to  
sabotage you and Akane, while I was just being...." She  
looked into his eyes. "An overprotective sister."  
  
"Ukyou, I've--"  
  
"Akane loves you Ranma. I know that. I guess before  
it was just a feeling of... I don't know what. But I see  
it now. She loves you, and you love her. And I love you,  
as a brother."  
  
"Ukyou. I'm glad to have you as a friend. I really  
am. But if I don't do this, Akane may never see the  
light of day again."  
  
Ukyou blinked. "What?"  
  
"Look, its hard to explain. Akane never told you why  
I left because I never told her why. All I did was leave  
a letter that I _THOUGHT_ would stop her, or anyone else  
for that matter, from finding me. But two people did."  
  
"Two?"  
  
Ranma nodded. "They shot him Ukyou."  
  
"Shot who?"  
  
"Pop."  
  
Ukyou's heart jumped. "What? How? Is he--"  
  
"He's alive. They shot him twice in the kneecaps.  
Right now, he's in the hospital in a coma. Having them  
let him live was the   
only way I would continue to work for them."  
  
"Who's them?"  
  
"I don't know. People. They've got pictures of me.  
Of you. Of Akane, Shampoo, Ryouga. Everyone. They can  
even tell me where Ryouga is at this exact moment."  
  
"How can--?"  
  
"I don't know, Ukyou. Things have happened so fast.  
They've sent me out on missions, but I refused to kill.  
That was the one thing I refused to do." He chuckled. "I  
was almost shot several times, and beat some gangsters  
loaded to the teeth with ammunition down to the ground,  
but I never killed anyone."  
  
"What do they need you to do?"  
  
"I'm still not sure. They talk about making a  
change. They say there's something wrong with our  
country." He paused. "They talk about transients walking  
the streets. Crime going out of control." He shook his  
head. "They want to rule with an iron fist. Starting  
with Japan."  
  
"They want to take over Japan?"  
  
"Yes. They've even got people in the government  
working for them. Apparently I've got to go kill a  
government official right now, and make it look like an  
accident, all because he's against what the others are  
doing."  
  
"But I thought you said--"  
  
"I wouldn't kill. Yes. But they've got Akane. And  
they're probably watching me right now."  
  
"So--"  
  
"So if I don't do as they say, they'll kill Akane  
and the reporter."  
  
"Reporter?"  
  
"I tried to go to the press, but they caught him  
before he could tell anyone."  
  
Ukyou blinked. "Could we go against them?"  
  
"They keep tabs on most of us. Some they don't  
consider a threat, some they do."  
  
"Who don't they consider a threat?"  
  
"You're one of them. Cologne and the old freak as  
well. Apparently, they figured I learned most of my  
special attacks from my father."  
  
"They don't consider me a threat?"  
  
"No. But if you were with Akane, they probably sent  
someone to follow you."  
  
"Why don't--"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Ukyou. Maybe they think its just  
because you run a restaurant, but they don't consider  
you a threat."  
  
Ukyou smirked. "I could show them a thing or two."  
  
"You can't take them all on. Not with guns." He  
paused. "I've got to continue on my way, but you've got  
to find Cologne and the old freak."  
  
"But--"  
  
"They can help. I know they can, Ucchan."  
  
Ukyou blinked and then nodded. "I'll do my best."  
  
"Good. There are two of them across the street.  
Don't look, but one will probably follow you, because  
we've been talking for too long. Can you take  
him?"  
  
"Skill level?"  
  
"I could take about 6 without getting shot, but any  
more..."  
  
"Right. One should be no problem. They armed?"  
  
"These two, I'm pretty sure. They seem to like to  
keep tabs on people."  
  
Ukyou nodded. "Where are they being kept?"  
  
"By the docks. Warehouse Seventy-Two."  
  
"Right. What are you going to do about this guy?"  
  
"I've got an idea." He looked up. "But I can only do  
it alone. Go find them, now." He said.  
  
Ukyou nodded and gave him a sisterly peck on the  
cheek, and then ran off. Ranma smirked as he noted one  
of the men across the street, amidst the crowd of people  
walking in either direction, give chase to Ukyou.  
  
****  
  
"You've got her?" he asked. As Mazuhara produced a  
toothy smile, Akane cringed away. "Bring her here."  
  
Mesaki Mazuhara flipped the cellular phone shut and  
placed it into his pocket. As he smiled at Akane, he  
spoke.   
  
"Well, Miss Tendo. It seems as though you're going  
to have some company." He looked back towards the  
reporter, who was now tied up to a chair.  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes. She tried her best to  
scream obscenities at him, but for the most part, they  
remained muffled utterances of gibberish.  
  
Mazuhara smiled. "Your sister should be here in any  
minute."  
  
****  
  
Ukyou ran.  
  
It wasn't as if, when put to the test, she wouldn't  
prevail against the armed man who was now chasing her,  
but it seemed easier to just run, and avoid him if  
possible.  
  
It was easier. Constantly looking over her shoulder,  
she checked if the armed man was still in chase. There  
was no way he would pull out his gun. It may have been  
late past midnight, but there were enough people around  
for him to cause a scene.  
  
It didn't take Ukyou terribly long to reach the  
train station. Although, for the most part, she was  
worried she would have to wait for the train.  
Coincidentally, she got there just as it seemed the  
doors were going to close.  
  
They did. But not before Ukyou slipped into the  
second car. The armed man bangs his hands against the  
window as the train pulled away. Ukyou smiled and  
relaxed in a seat.  
  
****  
  
It was a leap of faith.  
  
Well, not exactly, it was a fairly certain jump,  
just extremely dangerous if anything went wrong. And  
that's what found Gendo Tosaka clinging to the rear car  
of a passenger train, at nearly one clock in the  
morning.  
  
Many would say he was risking his life in making  
such a jump. But he would say he was saving it. He was  
only a peon. A simple worker bee to the monarch of his  
organization. And a worker that doesn't produce much, is  
of no use to the hive. That's the mentality Gendo had  
carried with him for over five years.  
  
But as it was, he found himself clinging to the rear  
ladder of a passenger train. From the speed it was  
moving, there was pretty much no chance of him being  
able to jump onto the rear carriage and gain entry into  
the car. He knew his mark was in the train. Her smiling  
face made his heart jump as she waved while the train  
left the station.  
  
But as it was, he was stuck. How long till the next  
stop, he wondered as the wind blew through his hair,  
causing the jacket of his suit to flap, even with the  
extra weight of a 92 series beretta.  
  
He could barely see past the front of his face.  
Whether it was because of the darkness of the night, or  
the wind stinging his eyes. But he held on.  
  
If something hit him, it would be all over. A fate  
that he found he would not mind much, as long as it  
meant not having to face failure and death at the hands  
of Mazuhara.  
  
As the wind eased, Gendo felt the feeling in his  
heart ease. The train was slowing to the next stop, and  
if Gendo was correct, his mark wouldn't be getting off  
until Nerima, which was another two stops away. He could  
get to her before she left the train.  
  
The train stopped. He hopped on the rear carriage  
and gained entry into the last car of the train. If he  
wasn't mistaken, the train had a total of five cars.  
Three cars away, his mark would be sitting, totally  
unexpectant of what was going to happen.  
  
****  
  
The chill came unexpectantly. The chill she always  
got when something wasn't right. It had happened the  
moment the train stopped, but after seeing noone enter  
her car as it pulled away from the station, she tried to  
ease.  
  
Unsuccesfully, of course. The ease never came.  
Something was wrong, and she knew it with all of her  
inner being.  
  
She got up from her seat and looked around. Her car  
was empty. She was alone. A quick looked at the front  
car revealed two passengers, but there was no other sign  
of anyone. Then she walked to the rear of her car.  
  
She gasped. The man who had been following her,  
however he had managed to get on the train, was in the  
next car.  
  
Thinking quickly, she pulled a mini-spatula from her  
bandolier and wedged it between the car door and the  
hinge. Luckily, it had worked. The man was nearly upon  
her when she managed to strategically place it.  
  
He frowned.  
  
Ukyou gave a quick gesture that would have been  
considered unladylike, if she had been a proper lady.  
  
The man yanked on the door furiously. As a final  
attempt, he pulled out his gun.  
  
Ukyou reacted as fast as she could. Already she  
could feel the train slow to its next stop, she pulled  
her battle spatula from her back and held it in front of  
her, barely managing to deflect the bullet.  
  
But that wasn't the intent of the bullet. The window  
on the train car door had been smashed, and the man had  
removed the mini-spatula. He was now in the car.  
  
Ukyou had to think quickly. She ran as fast as she  
could to the front car, opening the door and making a  
similar blockade using another mini-spatula.  
  
The man frowned again. This time, using the butt of  
his pistol, he smashed the window open. Fortunately for  
Ukyou, she hadn't blocked the door to prevent him from  
getting to her, but instead to buy her time.  
  
When the man got through the door, standing the on  
carriage between cars, he blinked. Ukyou wasn't there.  
  
****  
  
"What the hell?" He muttered to himself.  
  
He knew she hadn't entered the next car. He would  
have noticed that. He looked around in confusion. The  
only thing he could think of was that she had jumped.  
  
Holding the ladder to the train roof, he swung his  
body to get a good view of the ground in the area the  
train had gone past.  
  
Nothing. He blinked when he realized where she was.  
Swearing to himself and pocketing his gun, he climbed up  
the ladder.  
  
****  
  
Ukyou was having trouble holding her grip, but she  
tried to climb along the roof nonetheless. Seeing the  
lights of the train station go by, she realized they had  
skipped a station.  
  
"Damn electronic trains." She muttered. "It had  
better stop at Nerima or I'm going to write a stern  
letter of complaint."  
  
Then she heard it. Or rather saw it. A quick spark  
of light appeared by her head. When she noticed the  
telltale dent in the roof, she looked back. The man had  
found her.  
  
The sound of the wind rushing by had obviously  
drowned out the sound of the bullet. There was nothing  
she could do without risking losing her grip. If she  
could just hold out until the train reached Nerima, she  
would be fine.  
  
Another shot barely missed her. She realized the man  
was having just as much trouble aiming as Ukyou was  
having climbing. She increased her rate of movement when  
she realized the latest factor.  
  
The lights of Nerima began to loom before her. It  
wouldn't be much longer.  
  
There was another shot. Ukyou screamed in pain as  
the bullet ripped through her shoulder.  
  
****  
  
"Are you sure about this?" Hiroshi asked.  
  
"Sure," Daisuke replied. "They told us to meet them  
here at 1:30."  
  
"Yeah, but what if they meant 1:30 in the  
afternoon?"  
  
Daisuke blinked. "Well, you know how they are.  
They're girls. They do weird things."  
  
"Yeah, but I don't think they'd be dumb enough to  
come to the train station at 1:30 in the morning."  
  
"Oh come on." Daisuke shook his head. Then something  
caught his attention. "Hey look, there's the train. I'll  
bet they're on it!"  
  
"Either that or a crazed madman with a gun."  
  
As the train entered the station, Hiroshi and  
Daisuke prepared themselves. As it slowed, they began to  
peek into each car.  
  
"So, where are they?" He asked.  
  
Daisuke glared at his friend. "Girls can be late  
sometimes, you know."  
  
Suddenly, they were interrupted. A small and quick  
figure loomed over the two of them, knocking Daisuke  
over as it landed and took off into the distance.  
  
"What the heck was that?!" Hiroshi asked.  
  
"How should I know?!"  
  
"Where did she go?!" Another voice called out.  
  
Hiroshi and Daisuke perked up. The image of a man in  
a business suit holding a menacing looking pistol in his  
hand appeared before them. It took the two of them a  
moment to realize it was real.  
  
"Which way, you fools?!" He demanded.  
  
Hiroshi stuttered.  
  
Daisuke stared.  
  
"IDIOTS! WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!" He pointed the gun  
at them.  
  
Suddenly, the two of them started to speak.  
  
Daisuke pointed towards the shopping street. "Over  
there!"  
  
Hiroshi did the same. "Saw her with my own two  
eyes!"  
  
The man took off in pursuit and left Hiroshi and  
Daisuke by themselves.  
  
Silence ensued.  
  
A moment later, Daisuke spoke up. "Hiroshi?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"No. I think I wet myself."  
  
"Oh... Me too."  
  
"Hiroshi?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Next time I get a bright idea to come to the train  
station in the middle of the night, don't listen to me."  
  
"Roger that."  
  
****  
  
Ukyou hid. It was the only thing she could do. After  
jumping from the train and running nearly two blocks,  
she found the first unlocked door she could and hid  
inside.  
  
As it was, the door belonged to a small storage  
building. She chose it for the location.  
  
She winced as she set herself down behind a crate.  
As she heard the footsteps outside of the building, and  
the door open, she frowned.  
  
He had found her.  
  
"Here, bitchy, bitchy, bitchy." He muttered, holding  
his gun out in front of him.  
  
Ukyou frowned. "Bite me, you freak!" She yelled from  
behind the crate.  
  
"Oh, that hurts my feelings. Come on and make me  
better, I'm pretty certain I could--"  
  
"Are all you gangsters this perverted?"  
  
"Not entirely." He said, walking through the maze of  
crates in the supply room.  
  
"Must be just you then."  
  
"You know, honey. You're pretty mouthy for someone  
who just might die in a minute." He looked down at the  
ground and noticed something. "Looks like I clipped you,  
after all."  
  
Ukyou frowned. The wound on her shoulder was  
bleeding profusely, and the bandage she had just made  
from her sleeve didn't seem to be working all that well.  
  
"Lucky Shot." She taunted.  
  
The man with the gun followed the trail of blood,  
slowly. Being extra cautious.  
  
"You know honey, you don't HAVE to die. You and me  
could get pretty cozy, all you have to do is say the  
word."  
  
"I'd rather screw a horse." Was her reply.  
  
The gangster remained pretty calm for the most part.  
As he approached where the blood trail stopped, and  
looked around carefully.  
  
"Looks like you don't bleed much, Honey."  
  
Ukyou smirked. "You'd be surprised." She said from  
above him. She brought her spatula down and crowned him  
on the side of the head, sending him sprawling against a  
crate. She frowned and jumped away as she realized that  
he was still holding his gun. A moment later, he got up  
and started to yell.  
  
"You are going to DIE now, you bitch!"  
  
He began to shoot at random, at nearly everything he  
could see. Thankfully, Ukyou was hiding behind a thick  
crate.  
  
"I think not, fool." A new voice came from outside  
the door. The gangster turned around to see the door  
blast off its hinges and hit the floor, as a lone figure  
stood.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, you old bag? This  
has nothing to do with you. Go and knit something for  
your grandkids before I shoot you too!"  
  
Cologne smirked. "Come, child." She said to Ukyou.  
"You've much to explain."  
  
Ukyou sighed in relief as she called out. "I'm over  
here. I've been shot."  
  
Cologne nodded. "I had expected as much."  
  
"What the hell is this?" The gangster shouted. "I  
told you to get lost, old woman. Now go!"  
  
"I will not be ordered around by a common thug." She  
smirked at him. "Besides, you're about Seventy years too  
young to mess with me."  
  
The thug raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?" He raised  
his gun and smiled. "Good-bye!"  
  
He shot.  
  
As the smoke cleared from in front of his face, he  
frowned. The old woman still stood there. She produced  
something from her hands and tossed it at him.  
  
"I believe that was yours?"  
  
He looked down at his feet to see a small metal  
object. Closer examination revealed it to be a bullet.  
  
"No way." He muttered. He shot at Cologne three more  
times.  
  
As the smoke cleared again, he looked at her smiling  
face.  
  
"No way! I know I got you that time!"  
  
Cologne put her hand out, palm up and revealed two  
more bullets. The third she spit out of her mouth.  
  
"That's enough, boy." She said. "I can no longer  
play such games with you." She crossed the distance  
between them in mere seconds. The gangster barely saw  
her move. She swung her staff and knocked him to his  
feet, as she then placed her fingers on his neck and the  
side of his head. He then lay absolutely still.  
  
"Come child, he is taken care of."  
  
Ukyou raised herself from the side of the crate and  
walked out to meet her. "Is he dead?"  
  
"Nay, Child. He is merely paralyzed."  
  
"So he can't move?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Can he feel?"  
  
"Not at the moment, although any damage that is  
dealt to him he will feel tenfold after the paralyzing  
has worn off. By then the police will have arrived."  
  
"Good." She smiled, and proceeded to flatten his  
face with her spatula.  
  
"Now Child, I assume it is not by mere coincidence  
that you should happen to commence this fight this close  
to the Nekohanten?"  
  
Ukyou shook her head. "Ranma's in trouble."  
  
Cologne smiled. "As I had expected."  
  
"You knew?"  
  
"Nay, Child. I simply assumed. Why else would a  
crazed gangster with a gun be chasing after you, unless  
because of my   
son-in-law?"  
  
Ukyou could think of several reasons, but decided to  
remain silent. "We've got to find the old--... We've got  
to find Happosai."  
  
Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Why?"  
  
"It's hard to explain. You, me and Happosai are the  
only ones they don't consider threats."  
  
Cologne nodded. "Understandable. However, Child, you  
must remain here. Shampoo and Mousse are inside, and  
they will tend to your wounds."  
  
She shook her head. "I want to help too."  
  
"Nay, Child. They will be looking for you as well.  
If they sent this man after you, and he has not returned  
word that he has caught you, they may well send others  
after you. At least Shampoo and Mousse can offer some  
protection as to your wound."  
  
"But--"  
  
"No buts, Child. Tell me what I should know, and  
Happosai and I will take care of it."  
  
Ukyou began to speak again, but from the adamant  
look on Colognes face, she caved. She then told her all  
she knew.  
  
****  
  
Ranma swallowed hard.  
  
It was all he could do to keep his nerves steady. If  
things were going to work out as he had planned, he had  
to stay calm.  
  
Easier said than done.  
  
He pushed open the door.  
  
Empty. The room was empty. He looked around. Was it  
a trap? Was he supposed to come to an empty room while  
they...  
  
Oh God. Were they doing something to Akane? Visions  
of horror passed through Ranma's mind. And then he heard  
it.  
  
A snore. Ranma felt a rush of relief, but tensed up  
as he realized what was still at hand.  
  
He approached the bed.  
  
He pulled an object out of his pocket. Poison. It  
had been supplied to him from Mazuhara for the sole  
purpose of killing the man who slept in the bed before  
him.  
  
He poured some poison into a small cloth and  
scrubbed it in.  
  
The cloth now reeked with poison.  
  
He bent down to the sleeping man.  
  
How easy it would be for him to kill him. Even  
without the poison, he could snap his neck, or throw him  
out the window.  
  
Ranma shook his head. It wasn't healthy to think  
that way.  
  
He placed his hand on the mans shoulder.  
  
He shook him awake.  
  
"Wha?" The man groggily blinked his eyes. A moment  
later, he let his vision focus. Another moment later, he  
realized someone had woken him up. He scrambled to the  
side of the bed.  
  
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" He asked,  
frantically.  
  
Ranma tried to calm him down. "Relax, old man. I'm  
not going to hurt you."  
  
"There's some money on the desk, just leave  
peacefully."  
  
"I don't want your money. I was sent here to kill  
you."  
  
"Oh God." He curled himself into a fetal position.  
"Don't kill me, God please no."  
  
"Oh relax! I said I ain't gonna hurtcha!"  
  
"But you said--"  
  
"I said I was sent to kill ya. That ain't what I'm  
gonna do, ya old fool!"  
  
The man blinked. "How do I know your not going to  
hurt me?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "Look, your just gonna hafta trust me.  
I haven't killed anyone before, and I ain't about to  
start now."  
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
Ranma swallowed. "I need your help."  
  
"Help? You break into my home, threaten to kill me,  
and you ask for my help?!"  
  
"Hey, I never threatened to kill ya!"  
  
"You still broke into my home!"  
  
"I was forced to!"  
  
"Oh, great. A robber FORCED to rob someone blind.  
The courts would love to hear that!"  
  
"Will you stop already? I was forced to come in here  
and kill you, to prevent some kind of bill from going  
through. But you know what? I want you to live. I like  
Japan the way it is, and if things work out the way I  
hope they will, it'll be staying that way for a long  
time!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look, there's this guy. His name is Mesaki  
Mazuhara.  
At least, that's what he says his name is. He's got my  
fiancee, and he's threatening to kill her unless I do  
you in, but I ain't killing nobody."  
  
"Mesaki Mazuhara? I know that name."  
  
"Ikanisa manufacturing?"  
  
The man pounded a fist into his hand. "Of course."  
  
"He's some kind of crazy. He keeps saying he's gonna  
bring about a 'new era' for Japan and the world."  
  
"Ikanisa Manufacturing is a heavy donator for some  
of the other politicians in Japan."  
  
"Exactly, he's probably got all sorts of 'em on the  
payroll. But he wants you out of the picture."  
  
"Understandable. I know what kind of seedy  
background he's from. I vote against everything he's got  
his fingers into."  
  
"Obviously why he wants you dead."  
  
The man nodded. "I'll call the police. you can  
explain everything to them, and they'll arrest him."  
  
"No, you can't. Not yet."  
  
"Why? Oh, that's right. Your fiancee."  
  
"He'll kill her if he so much as senses something  
out of place. I've spent the last month with him. He may  
not be skilled, but he's smart. And ruthless."  
  
"So what do you suggest we do?"  
  
Ranma smiled. "There's one thing he doesn't yet know  
about me."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
Ranma thought for a second. "Here's what we do."  
  
****  
  
"I don't like this. He's taking too goddamn long."  
Masato muttered to nobody in particular.  
  
Masato had a history of talking to himself. Some  
people called it a psychological problem. But the truth  
was, he talked to himself, because he understood  
himself.  
  
Not entirely, of course, but for the most part.  
Masato just found no pleasure in talking to others,  
unless it was required. To him, nobody but himself could  
provide a good, entertaining conversation.  
  
Nobody except Mesaki Mazuhara.  
  
Masato had known Mesaki for three years now. And he  
was one of Mazuhara's few men that could boast a  
personal relationship with him. As friends.  
  
Whether Mazuhara would do things for his friends was  
not the question. It was whether his friends could do  
something for Mazuhara.  
  
As it was, Masato could. He was a martial artist of  
high caliber. He had studied his entire life, and often  
won competitions. Though it was true he was nowhere near  
the caliber of martial artist that Saotome was, he could  
handle his own.  
  
But he had a weakness. It was a weakness many men  
had. The weakness for the opposite sex.  
  
Masato was a ladykiller. Literally. He could  
remember on two separate occasions he had had to kill  
his mate, for one reason or another. But Mazuhara had  
protected him. Even during the trials, he stood up for  
him. And that's why Masato owed him so much.  
  
But he still suffered from his weakness. Perpetual  
attraction to the opposite sex. He got it from many  
sources. Prostitutes, young school girls looking for a  
good time. Even, at times, he had forced it upon some.  
  
Maybe that's why he was so distracted by the girl  
across the street.  
  
He knew she was looking at him. He couldn't explain  
how or why, but he just knew.  
  
Finally, having nearly given up on Saotome, he  
walked across the street to the hotel lobby entrance.  
  
"How you doing?" He asked her.  
  
The girl sheepishly blushed and muttered under her  
breath. "Fine."  
  
"Nice night, eh?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Kinda cold."  
  
She nodded again.  
  
"My name is Masato, mind if I ask yours?"  
  
She widened her eyes for a moment. After she calmed  
again, she answered. "Umm. I'm Ranko."  
  
"Ranko. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Likewise."  
  
"So, what are you doing out here? Waiting for  
someone?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Oh yeah? Boyfriend?"  
  
She coughed for a second. "GOD no."  
  
"So you're single, then?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
Masato smiled. "You, uhh.. got a room in the hotel?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Tell ya what, cutie. Give me your room number, and  
I'll be up there as soon as I've checked on something."  
  
She looked at him confusedly for a second, and then  
answered. "1007."  
  
Masato smiled.  
  
****  
  
Ranma was out of breath. "Okay, he's on his way up.  
Look dead."  
  
"Already? How did--"  
  
"Nevermind, it doesn't matter."  
  
"Why are you all wet?"  
  
"Just look dead!"  
  
"Alright, alright!"  
  
The old man lay down on the bed, arms stretched out  
wide and stuck his tongue out.  
  
"Not like that, you idiot! Try and look like you've  
been poisoned!"  
  
"I am!"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "Just... look like you're  
asleep, okay?"  
  
The door creaked open. Ranma heard it and quickly  
sat down beside the man, hands in his face.  
  
"Is it done, Saotome?" Masato asked.  
  
Ranma shook his head. "Leave me the hell alone."  
  
"You listen to me, Saotome. You work for us. You  
answer me when I ask you a question."  
  
"It's done, alright?! Just look at him!"  
  
Masato eyed the man suspiciously.  
  
"Let me check his pulse." He said.  
  
Something inside Ranma clicked.  
  
"Goddamn it! The guys already dead, just leave him  
alone!"  
  
"I've gotta check, Saotome. I don't want to waste  
any time."  
  
"Smell the goddamn air, why don't you? That crap you  
made me give him is gonna make both of us sick if we  
hang around here any longer!"  
  
Unnoticed by Masato, the old man on the bed  
twitched.  
  
"I don't want to waste any time, either Masato.  
Just... Just call Mazuhara and get him to let them go."  
  
Masato narrowed his eyes. He gave a quick look at  
the old man and then smirked. "Fine, Saotome."  
  
****  
  
The phone rang.  
  
Mazuhara smiled. "That should be Masato with the  
information I need."  
  
Akane looked over at the new arrival of the room.  
Her sister sit in a chair opposite her, next to the man  
from the press. They exchanged glances every time  
Mazuhara spoke.  
  
"Mazuhara." He greeted as he answered the phone. He  
smiled. "Ahh, Masato. How do things fare?"  
  
A pause.  
  
He smiled. "Perfect. Bring Saotome back here and  
we'll take care of him."  
  
Another pause.  
  
He frowned. "Masato, I care not of your simple  
conquests. The girl may wait."  
  
And yet another.  
  
"Bring Saotome here and I'll allow you your choice  
of the two I currently hold in my possession."  
  
A final pause.  
  
"You have one hour to bring him here, Masato. Do not  
fail me."  
  
He hung up.  
  
Mazuhara smiled.  
  
****  
  
"Stay here, Saotome." Masato said. "I'll be back in  
twenty minutes, and then we'll allow you your precious  
Akane."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Does it matter? If you must know, I'm going to get  
myself some ass."  
  
"You'd do that while there's a man lying dead here?"  
  
Masato shrugged.  
  
"Doesn't Mazuhara want us back there, or something?"  
  
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Now if you'll  
excuse me, Saotome, I'm off to get lucky with a sweet  
young thing."  
  
Ranma smiled. "Oh, you mean 'Ranko'?"  
  
Masato paused.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ranko, room 1007?"  
  
"How did you know that?" Masato stared at him.  
  
A moment later, the man in the bed sat up. "How'd I  
do?"  
  
"Perfect, old man. Go call the police now. I'll take  
care of this one."  
  
The old man nodded. "Right-O."  
  
"Saotome, what the hell is this?"  
  
"You ever ask what Ranko's last name was?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Saotome."  
  
Masato blinked. "Your sister... Clever, Saotome."  
  
"You know what's even more clever?"  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Ranma brought himself into a defensive stance. "I  
don't even have a sister."  
  
Masato remained calm. He pulled the phone out of his  
pocket.  
  
Ranma had to act quickly. If he managed to even dial  
Mazuhara's number, it would tip him off. He was too far  
to take it from him by force. There was only one other  
means he could use.  
  
"Moko Takabisha!" He yelled. A large ball of  
channeled ki released itself from his form and blasted  
the phone from Masato's hands, while simultaneously  
knocking him against the wall.  
  
****  
  
"What... What the hell was that?" He asked himself.  
  
He hadn't even seen it coming. Whatever it was that  
he had done, he had done it from across the room. It was  
almost as if he had lobbed a cannonball.  
  
But it wasn't. His suit was charred. His hands felt  
blistered as if burned in a fire. He looked back at  
Ranma. It dawned on him.  
  
He got up. "So, it seems you have other talents as  
well, eh Saotome?"  
  
Ranma smiled. "Damn straight."  
  
"Looks like I'll have to get serious." Masato  
brought himself into a defensive position.  
  
"Wait." Ranma put his hand forth. He suddenly  
calmed.  
  
"What now, Saotome? Scared to fight me?"  
  
"No. I just want this over with as soon as possible,  
and I think I know how."  
  
"Oh yeah, how's that?"  
  
Ranma smirked as he pulled a small water bottle from  
his pocket.  
  
"What are you going to do? Squirt me to death?"  
  
"Just watch."  
  
He poured the content over himself.  
  
He was now a she.  
  
Masato dropped his jaw.  
  
"Okay," The old man walked into the room. "They're  
sending up security, but the police will take a little  
longer to get here." He looked around. "Where did that  
kid go?"  
  
Ranma looked over at him. "When the cops get here,  
tell them Warehouse Seventy-Two, at the docks. Let them  
know there are innocents."  
  
The old man blinked. "Who are you?"  
  
Ranma smiled as she looked back at Masato, who was  
staring in disbelief. "Ranma Saotome."  
  
As the security guards entered the room and tackled  
Masato to the ground, Ranma leapt past them, and out the  
door.  
  
****  
  
The guards were careless.  
  
"Utterly dreadful." Cologne muttered to herself. If  
she saw the guards of the village treating their duties  
this lightly, she would have to treat them to a lesson  
of Jusenkyo.  
  
But as it was, Happosai and Cologne were doing just  
fine keeping themselves hidden from the guards of the  
warehouse.  
  
Cologne worked out what to do. From her surveillance  
of the building, there were eight guards outside. Easily  
detainable. Inside there appeared to be four, along with  
the leader, a fool man who appeared to have gotten mixed  
up in something he didn't belong in, and two of the  
Tendo girls.  
  
Then there were the guns.  
  
Happosai and Cologne both knew the consequences if  
they were to attack too prematurely when there were guns  
involved.  
  
As it was, with so many armed men inside, there  
would be no way they could disarm all of them before one  
of the children, or the fool man was shot.  
  
Cologne needed a sign. She looked over at Happosai,  
who seemed to be concentrating on something, much the  
same as she herself was.  
  
And then he pointed.  
  
Cologne turned to see what he was pointing at. A  
figure in the distance. Over 100 years of living does  
inhibit one's eyesight somewhat. But the figure in the  
distance was easy to make out.  
  
It was Ranma.  
  
She looked towards Happosai and nodded. It was time  
to take out the trash.  
  
****  
  
The first signs of dawn broke over the horizon as  
Ranma returned to the warehouse. His heart was pounding.  
  
"Saotome." Mazuhara greeted.  
  
"Nabiki?" He asked, giving an incredulous gaze in  
her direction. He suddenly narrowed his eyes. "We have a  
deal, Mazuhara. Let them go."  
  
Mazuhara looked past Ranma. "And where is Masato?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Mazuhara narrowed his eyes. "He should have entered  
the building after you had." He looked around for a  
moment, then looked towards one of his men. "Where is  
he?"  
  
"He sent me back here. He said he had someone to  
take care of at the hotel."  
  
"Saotome," he scowled. "If something has happened to  
Masato, you will pay dearly."  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I did nothing to him. Remember our  
deal, Mazuhara. Release him." He pointed at the  
reporter.  
  
Mazuhara shrugged. "You heard him, release him."  
  
Akane's sudden screaming tipped Ranma off that  
something was up. As Mazuhara punched her in the side of  
the head, Ranma crossed the distance between them. He  
threw Mazuhara towards the ground and screamed at the  
top of his lungs.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
The two men holding the reporter were knocked down  
to the ground as he looked up and about in amazement.  
Two blurs came about and knocked several other men in  
the warehouse to the ground as well. As the blurs slowed  
down, Cologne and Happosai were easily visible.  
  
Mazuhara pulled out a gun from his inside pocket and  
aimed it at Ranma. "Damn you, Saotome!"  
  
Ranma smirked. "You think you can get me before THEY  
get you? You'll have to empty that thing out before you  
even graze me, Mazuhara."  
  
Mazuhara smiled. "Not quite, Saotome." He pulled his  
aim towards the figure strapped to the chair beside  
Ranma. As he saw Mazuhara pulled the trigger, Ranma put  
all of his weight into a fierce kick, which sent Akane  
and the chair she was in sprawling across the room. The  
bullet went searing through Ranma's calf, barely missing  
the bone.  
  
It took Cologne and Happosai seconds to disarm him  
and send him to the ground. It was that moment that the  
police piled into the warehouse.  
  
"Took you long enough." Ranma muttered at them,  
cradling his leg. He began to get up.  
  
"It's best you stay down, boy." Happosai remarked.  
  
"Shut up, ya old freak."  
  
Happosai began to protest, but felt Cologne's firm  
grasp on his arm.  
  
"Do not interfere, Happi. He is too headstrong, and  
what he does affects my life as well."  
  
Happosai stared at her in confusion for a moment,  
but then realized what she was saying. He nodded in  
agreement.  
  
Ranma limped over towards Akane, amidst a small  
swarm of police who set about arresting most of the  
people in the warehouse.  
  
He set himself down beside her and removed her gag.  
  
She smiled at him. "Ranma, I--"  
  
He put his finger to her lips. 'Shhhh.' He said.  
"Just be quiet." He proceeded to fix her chair so she  
would be sitting up, and then untied her.  
  
She felt a few tears flow down her cheek. "Ranma,  
I... I'm sorry, I--"  
  
"Akane. Don't worry about it." He smiled at her.  
"You're safe, and that's all I care about." He brought  
his lips to hers, and closed his eyes as he embraced her  
into a deep kiss.  
  
She returned it just as eagerly, letting tears of  
joy flow from her eyes unrelentingly.  
  
As they broke the kiss, neither spoke a word for  
several moments. Ranma placed his arms around her and  
embraced her. She did the same. He then managed to  
whisper into her ear. "I love you, Akane."  
  
More tears flowed from her eyes as she heard the  
words. "I love you too, Ranma."  
  
A few moments later, a police officer approached the  
two embracing teens. "Ranma Saotome?" He asked.  
  
Ranma looked towards him and nodded, noticing Nabiki  
exit the building, accompanied by two police officers.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was under the impression that she was  
Ranma Saotome." He apologized. "Ranma Saotome is a  
woman, is she not?"  
  
"Not quite."  
  
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you a few  
questions."  
  
"Can it wait?"  
  
Suddenly, a commotion interrupted Ranma's  
conversation as he heard several shouts, and two  
individual bursts of a gun. Ranma looked over to realize  
that somehow, Mazuhara had gotten away from the police  
long enough to grab two automatic weapons from on of his  
unconscious guards. Two policemen lay down on the  
ground.  
  
The policeman questioning him suddenly pushed them  
away just as Mazuhara opened fire upon them. The  
policeman was ripped apart by the bullets.  
  
Happosai was first to react. He was facing away from  
Mazuhara, which turned out to be a folly. A bullet  
grazed his leg, sending a fine mist of blood out around  
him. He jumped out of the way just in time.  
  
"Damn you, Saotome!" He shouted as he continued to  
fire.  
  
Ranma pulled Akane to her feet and began to retreat  
to the safest place possible, going as fast as he could  
with his wound. The bullets whizzed by his ear as he  
yanked on Akane's hand.  
  
Cologne was jumping about, trying to get the best  
advantage possible. She grabbed bullets out of the air,  
and dropped them to the ground. Suddenly, she noticed  
Mazuhara's second gun was aimed at Ranma and Akane.  
She moved swiftly to intercept.  
  
Happosai managed to catch a few bullets in the air  
and return them with his pipe. It wasn't doing much  
good, no matter how strong the old martial artist was,  
he couldn't match the force of a gun, and the bullets  
ended up either bouncing off the reporters chest, or  
causing him to flinch. That was all he needed.  
  
Ranma had to act quickly. He knew there was no way  
of him finding cover before either he or Akane was shot,  
so he pulled Akane to him, and covered her with his  
body. He stood absolutely still and looked onward, as he  
realized several bullets were heading toward him, he  
closed his eyes in anticipation.  
  
A few moments later, he opened them again. The  
reporter was still shooting, but the bullets weren't  
getting through. Ranma finally noticed Cologne.  
  
"What are you waiting for, boy?" She yelled at him.  
"Get her to safety!"  
  
Ranma noticed a moment later that Cologne was  
literally grabbing bullets out of mid-air and dropping  
them to the ground.  
  
"Go!"  
  
Ranma didn't need anymore convincing, he and Akane  
ran out of there as fast as he possibly could. Finally  
behind a crate, he had Akane sit behind it.  
  
"Stay here, Akane. I've got to--"  
  
"Ranma, no. You can't!"  
  
"Akane, I've got to take care of this. All the  
police have already been shot. It won't be long until  
the other guys realize what's going on and take  
advantage of this." He looked out towards Cologne and  
Happosai.  
  
"Ranma--"  
  
"I have to, Akane."  
  
Akane looked towards the ground. "Promise me."  
  
"Promise what?"  
  
"Promise me you'll come back."  
  
Ranma smiled. "Akane, I promise." He cupped her  
chin, and brought her into another deep kiss. After  
letting go, he got up and looked towards the action.  
  
"Please, Ranma."  
  
He smiled. "Of course."  
  
He ran out into the action.  
  
****  
  
Damn them.  
  
Damn them all.  
  
Years of planning, millions of dollars spent.  
  
And he had to risk it all for the service of one  
young boy.  
  
Idiot.  
  
He truthfully did not expect to live. But he would  
sure as hell kill Saotome and his bitch fiancee in the  
process.  
  
The old ones too, if he could manage to get a bullet  
through. It had confused him at first. It took him a  
moment to realize they were actually picking them out of  
the air. He hadn't seen things like that happen before,  
and was having trouble believing it.  
  
But it was a slight setback. He would kill them all.  
  
****  
  
"Damn you, Mazuhara!" He yelled. It wasn't as if the  
sound of his voice could rise past the sound of the  
gunfire, but just getting the message across would be  
good enough.  
  
"Take him down, boy!" Cologne yelled. "We'll cover  
you!"  
  
Ranma blinked for a moment. He was having a hard  
enough time dodging the odd bullet that would slip past  
Cologne's defense. How could he get all the way up to  
him?  
  
He thought. Moko Takabisha? Was a ki blast stronger  
than a bullet? No. It couldn't be, his ki blast would  
manage to knock someone out at most, but never kill. At  
least, he had hoped.  
  
The Moko Takabisha would be deflected. Probably  
cause alot more pain.  
  
Then it dawned on him.  
  
"I've got him!" He yelled. "Cover me!"  
  
"Go boy!" Happosai yelled.  
  
Ranma started his attack. A simple spiraling motion,  
surrounding Mazuhara.  
  
Then it happened.  
  
Happosai got careless.  
  
The bullet ripped through his throat. The old  
martial artist gurgled on his own blood for a few  
seconds before he finally fell limp to the floor.  
  
It did not go unnoticed.  
  
"DAMN YOU, MAZUHARA! I'LL KILL YOU!"  
  
Cologne saw what was happening. "The spiral boy,  
keep in the spiral!"  
  
Ranma sneered. He couldn't believe it. The old man  
was a pain, but when it really came down to it, he was  
an invaluable help.  
  
"I'll avenge you." He said under his breath.  
  
****  
  
The spiral continued, thankfully. It didn't have to  
last much longer. Happosai was gone. Dreadful, but he  
would be remembered in death. Cologne let a vague tear  
drop from her eye. It had been long since she had let  
feeling interfere in her life. But it was not an easy  
thing to witness.  
  
"Continue the spiral, boy," she muttered as she  
continued to pick bullets out of the air.  
  
It was obvious from the facial expression of the man  
with the gun, that he was not happy. And unhappiness  
leads to pain, she often found.  
  
This was not an exception. Several police officers  
were wounded, possibly dead. Her childhood... Friend was  
lying dead on the ground not several feet away from her.  
And she may never see her great-granddaughter again.  
  
It was becoming too much. She closed her eyes for a  
split second, to clear her eyes of the tears that were  
welling up. A split second too long.  
  
The bullet caught her in the ribcage. It shattered  
ancient bone and settled in a place next to her heart.  
She fell over, arms still moving like a blur.  
  
It was too late.  
  
"HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"  
  
It was just in time.  
  
****  
  
Mazuhara looked in confusion. He had stopped firing  
after the wind had picked up. Nothing was visible past  
the spiraling force of the wind.  
  
"A.. Tornado?" He muttered.  
  
He dropped his guns as he was picked up by the wind,  
rising up, higher towards the ceiling. As he realized  
there was no ceiling, he stared in awe.  
  
He closed his eyes as he realized. He was being  
brought to the afterlife. A place in heaven just for  
him, because he died. His dreams of a perfect world  
unrealized.  
  
As the searing pain went through his leg, his eyes  
shot open.  
  
No. He wasn't dead. He was alive. He was still in  
the warehouse. The ceiling had somehow been ripped off.  
  
He was being caught in a tornado of his own bullets.  
  
Another one caught him, this time in the side,  
embedding itself deep inside of him. He doubled over.  
  
Another one, passing right through his left cheek,  
and exiting through his right. He gasped as he started  
to choke on his own blood.  
  
Yet another, hitting him in the arm.  
  
Time seemed to slow. The ebbing pain becoming more  
and more searing by the moment.  
  
He barely saw the final bullet. He saw a black  
shape, but that was it. As it entered through his eye  
socket and burrowed deep into his brain, he fell dead.  
  
****  
  
Ranma coughed. He hadn't gone without injury in the  
tornado of bullets. A bullet entered his side and his  
forearm, and he was having trouble keeping  
consciousness.  
  
He coughed again as he looked towards the several  
prone figures on the ground. One of them more familiar  
than others.  
  
"Come here, boy." Cologne called to Ranma.  
  
Ranma crawled over to her.  
  
"That was foolish of us, you know, Boy."  
  
Ranma nodded. "I'm sorry. Are... Are you going to be  
alright?"  
  
Cologne nodded. "It'll take a lot more than a bullet  
wound to take me out, Boy." She began to get up, and  
then collapsed back down.  
  
"You truly love her, do you not?"  
  
"Akane?" He said. "Yes. Yes I do." He looked down  
towards the ground. "I'm sor--"  
  
"Don't you dare say you're sorry, Boy."  
  
Ranma looked at her in confusion.  
  
"There is a way out of the law."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The kiss of marriage. There is a way to break it.  
Shampoo must follow it, it is Joketsuzoku law."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. You're in love with Akane Tendo. That is it.  
If Shampoo hears these words from your mouth, she will  
abide to the law."  
  
"Cologne... Why--"  
  
"Why do I tell you this?" She laughed. "I'm not an  
old troll, Ranma. I do care. I do have feelings. Some  
would rather you not admit your feelings for Akane, to  
tell the truth, I was more inclined to have you marry  
Shampoo at the beginning. But that was before I saw it,  
Ranma. And that is why I eased up and allowed you time  
to bond with her."  
  
"I... Cologne, why are you telling me this now?"  
  
She smiled. "Tell Shampoo I will await her in the  
afterlife."  
  
"What?" He looked at her. "Cologne, no. You can't  
die. Not now. Not after all of this!" He looked towards  
Happosai's prone body several feet away. "You can't.  
First him, now you? No. You can't die, Cologne."  
  
Cologne looked Ranma in the eyes as she began to  
close them. "Ranma. Live a full life. I have, and I have  
no regrets. I have died a warrior, and I will be  
remembered a warrior."  
  
Ranma let tears seep out of his eyes. "Cologne, no.  
Stay with me. Stay with me Cologne!"  
  
Cologne's life slowly seeped from her, giving way  
for the next.  
  
Ranma sat there for three more minutes, until the  
medic had come in for him. He soon met Akane in the  
ambulance.  
  
  
****  
  
"Listen to this," Akane began, "'Ranma Saotome, a  
young martial artist from Nerima Ward, almost  
single-handedly brought down a dangerous criminal  
organization last night. The organization, which called  
itself 'The Paved Future' had several 'front companies'  
including Ikanisa manufacturing and Masamoto  
Enterprises. Cleverly outsmarting several of the  
criminals and bringing them to justice, Saotome made his  
way through the organization, eventually rescuing his  
fiancee. Though many innocents were killed, including  
several police officers and two of Saotome's  
acquaintances, he caused no casualties. Most of the  
criminals were arrested, with the exception of Mesaki  
Mazuhara, who was killed by his own bullets. The  
circumstances of his death still remain a mystery by the  
police, but it is being ruled as a suicide.'"  
  
She paused to catch her breath. "'Consequently,  
several government officials and high ranking  
politicians were arrested in conjunction of the previous  
arrests. Investigations are still underway. Young  
Saotome now lies in a hospital bed, recovering from his  
ordeal.'"  
  
Ranma sighed.  
  
Nabiki spoke up. "You're a hero, Saotome. How does  
it feel?"  
  
"Who cares?"  
  
Nabiki shook her finger. "Come on now, Ranma. You  
can't tell me you don't see where I'm going with this.  
Ranma Saotome, the movie. Ranma Saotome, the action  
figure. Ranma Saotome, the actor! With me as your agent,  
we could make a fortune!"  
  
"Nabiki?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Right-O."  
  
****  
  
Epilogue  
  
"Shampoo's here?" Ranma asked, sitting himself up in  
the hospital bed. He had a cast on his leg from where  
he'd been shot, and a bandage on his side.  
  
Akane nodded. "I met her on the way up. She said she  
had to stop somewhere else in the hospital before she  
saw you."  
  
A moment later, Shampoo entered into the hospital  
room. "Hello, Ranma." She said.  
  
"Uh. Hi uhh... Shampoo..."  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You love Akane, yes?"  
  
Ranma thought for a moment, and then remembered  
Colognes words. "Yes."  
  
Shampoo closed her eyes for a moment, and then  
opened them. She smiled. "Is good. Good that Ranma with  
someone he loves."  
  
Akane smiled and sat next to her fiancee.  
  
"What are you going to do now, Shampoo?"  
  
She shrugged. "Go back to village. Many want to hear  
word of how Great-Grandmother died. She have place on  
Wall of Honor."  
  
"Wall of Honor?"  
  
"Yes. She elder who die in battle. One of greatest  
honors of Joketsuzoku."  
  
Ranma smiled.  
  
"I also have this for Ranma. To remember me by."  
  
Akane walked over to Shampoo as she gave her a small  
box. "Is present. Not open until Shampoo leave, okay?"  
  
Ranma took the box from Akane and nodded.  
  
"Shampoo?"  
  
"Yes, Akane?"  
  
"Will you come back? To visit, at least?"  
  
She looked up in the air for a moment. "You both  
good friends, now. I come and visit whenever I can."  
  
Ranma smiled.  
  
Akane walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Come  
back soon, Shampoo. Please."  
  
Shampoo smiled. "Yes. Will. I go now." She turned  
around and walked to the exit. "Ranma?" She asked  
without turning around.  
  
"Yes, Shampoo?"  
  
"Did. Did Ranma ever love Shampoo?"  
  
Ranma was at a loss for words. He wrestled with  
several answers, but couldn't bring them out.  
  
Shampoo shook her head. "Nevermind. Shampoo not want  
to know. Is better not knowing."  
  
Ranma let his mouth close. "Good-bye, Shampoo."  
  
Shampoo turned around one last time and smiled at  
them. "I see you as soon as possible, okay?"  
  
Ranma and Akane both nodded.  
  
A few minutes later, Akane turned to Ranma. "Do you  
think she'll come back?"  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I hope so. It'll be nice to have  
her as a friend instead of someone who will slobber all  
over me."  
  
Akane nodded. "I think so too."  
  
"Should I open this?"  
  
Akane nodded. "What do you think it is?"  
  
Ranma began to untie the bow and open the lid of the  
box. What he saw inside made his heart jump, for a  
moment. And then, as he calmed down, he laughed.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Ranma pulled the object out of the box. It was a  
small stuffed cat.  
  
Akane laughed and took the cat from him. "Cute  
little fellow, isn't she?"  
  
Ranma nodded. "I love you, Akane."  
  
She looked back at him and hugged him.  
  
"I love you too, Ranma."  
  
As they brought each other into a deep kiss, the  
world seemed to fade away. They were no longer simply  
Ranma and Akane, but lovers. Embracing each others  
warmth.  
  
****  
  
Authors Notes: I know, its been a while since I've  
released new chapters of 'A life once Lived' or  
'Converging Fates'... It seems I'm at a bit of a  
creative standstill. As it stands, however this is my  
first serious straight Ranma fic. It's also my first  
serious COMPLETED Ranma fic... For some reason, I come  
to a complete blank when I try and write new chapters of  
ALOL or CF, but I managed to write this over a weekend.  
Shrug... Go figure.  
  
Anyways, The first 30k of this, I wrote during a  
boring day at school... (30k at school, with a  
facilitator constantly looking over your shoulder..   
HOO BOY!)... I estimated the size would be about 100 k  
when finished, looks like I was right.. :) __._ K isn't  
bad, eh? I'm happy.. :)  
  
Anyways, the idea came to me one day when I was  
bored out of my skull. I knew I wanted to write a 'love  
story' between Ranma and Akane, where it starts from  
Akane's POV, and ends in Ranma's POV, and I also wanted  
a few things solved as well... I'm also considering  
writing a sequel using Ryouga... (He's gonna be  
surprised, he didn't even know Ranma went missing   
in the first place)... But still, I'm only  
considering... Anyways, I could use some real C&C  
(Either directly to me or on the list, don't matter)   
before I post this to the RAAC. I put alot into this fic  
over the past few days, and I'm rather amazed I wrote  
this much, considering how busy I was.. :)  
  
I'll be working on finishing off A Life Once Lived  
before I continue with Converging Fates, but don't be  
surprised if I don't keep my word.. If I have more  
creative success with one over the other, then I'll be  
doing that. Oh, and I'm building up chapters of a new  
fic (Already working on Chapter 2) that should prove to  
blow my previous ones out of the water. The current   
working title is 'Book of the Final Stand', and that  
also is a straight Ranma fic. Until that time, I'll cya  
around. Oh, and BTW, I also appreciate any comments  
you'll have on this fic. Thanks, cya!  



End file.
